HB 1931 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Summary

Establishes a State Noxious Weed Coordinator position and updates the process for designating and managing noxious weeds. Allows public proposals to add, amend, or remove noxious weed designations. Requires notice and public reporting. Clarifies the authority of the Department and Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Authorizes updates to the noxious weed list to be adopted by order and classifies noxious weeds into three categories. Strengthens enforcement and penalties. Updates departmental duties for noxious weed control and eradication. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Last action Mar 30, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1931_HD2 → HB1931_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the Hawaii noxious weed laws to align with the 2025 renaming of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and modernizes the listing process. It adds a State Noxious Weed Coordinator role to manage proposals and clarifies that the public can submit nominations for new weed designations. The changes aim to improve biosecurity, ensure public participation, and streamline the scientific review process for invasive plants.

Scope change

The bill's scope expands to explicitly include the renamed department and broadens the definition of 'person' to cover all government entities, ensuring all agencies are subject to the new rules.

DEFINITION

Updated references to the 'department of agriculture and biosecurity' to reflect its 2025 renaming and reorganization.

Expanded the definition of 'person' to explicitly include all government agencies, instrumentalities, and subdivisions.

REQUIREMENT

Established a new State Noxious Weed Coordinator position responsible for reviewing public proposals before they reach the board.

Added authority for the department to define 'limited distribution' through new rules.

TIMELINE

Changed the deadline for board voting on proposals to occur within 180 days of the scheduled board meeting rather than a fixed calendar date.

ELIGIBILITY

Formalized the ability for any person to submit a proposal to add, amend, or remove noxious weed designations.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Reported from AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3298) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-20-26 4:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to AEN, JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 170).

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso, Sayama excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 754-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Sayama.

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Committee

Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 175-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Perruso, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Lowen.

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to AGR, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 3

lower

Jan 26, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

11 primary · 0 co-sponsors