SB 678 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Summary

Establishes the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund. Requires a portion of the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax to be deposited into the Special Fund. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 10, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB678 → SB678_SD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes a new Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund in Hawaii, funded by a portion of the existing Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax. The changes add a new fund to support local agriculture through grants for farmers, property acquisition, infrastructure improvements, and equipment purchases. It also introduces new requirements for grant applicants and adds a new tax provision for fossil fuels to fund the special fund.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from general agricultural support to include specific disaster relief provisions for locally produced agricultural products during emergencies, and added new fossil fuel tax provisions to fund the agricultural fund.

FISCAL

Created a new Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund within the state treasury to support local agriculture.

Added a new tax provision requiring a portion of the fossil fuel tax to be deposited into the new agricultural special fund.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirements for grant applicants including licensing, detailed project plans, anti-discrimination compliance, and indemnification of the state.

SCOPE

Added new purpose to fund procurement of locally produced agricultural products during federally declared disasters or state emergencies to address food insecurity.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date of the Act from an unspecified date to July 1, 2050.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Reported from AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 163) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite.

upper

Jan 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 01-27-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

Referred to AEN, WAM.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

2 primary · 1 co-sponsor