SB 1187 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL BIOSECURITY.

Summary

Appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture for permanent positions in agricultural biosecurity established by Act 231, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, and various biosecurity programs. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB1187 → SB1187_SD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to shift from a standard legislative format to a specific Senate Draft 1 (SD1) version, which includes a significant increase in the total appropriation amount and a major restructuring of how funds are allocated to specific biosecurity programs. The most critical substantive change is the effective date, which was moved from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2050, delaying the implementation of these agricultural biosecurity positions and programs by over 25 years.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly list and allocate funding for multiple specific biosecurity programs (such as pest management, invasive species response, and facility planning) rather than just general positions, while the applicability of the funding is delayed significantly.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2050, deferring the start of the new biosecurity positions and programs by 25 years.

FISCAL

The total appropriated sum was increased from $19,797,868 to a placeholder amount, indicating a revision in the total budget allocation.

SCOPE

New specific programs were added to the bill, including Risk Assessment, Pest Management Systems, Brown Tree Snake Rapid Response, Pest Diagnostics, Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response, Green Waste, Compost Reimbursement, Public Awareness Campaign, Little Fire Ants Response, Coqui Frog Response, Invasive Species Outreach, Tech Upgrades, Import Replacement Fund, Biosecurity Facility Planning, and Rose-Ringed Parakeet response.

REQUIREMENT

The allocation structure was modified to require specific funding assignments to the newly added programs alongside the existing permanent agricultural biosecurity positions.

TECHNICAL

Several specific line items for individual positions and their associated costs were removed and replaced with a new programmatic allocation structure.

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

Feb 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 267) 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 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-03-25 1:02PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to AEN, WAM.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors