SB 1562 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Summary

Establishes the Combined Housing Operational Agriculture Mobilization Program to assist bona fide farmers to live and farm on agricultural lands. For taxable years beginning 1/1/2026, establishes a tax credit for land donated to the Program. Appropriates funds. 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 22, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB1562 → SB1562_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from SB1562 to SB1562 SD1 and updated with new legislative metadata. Substantively, the bill expanded the program's definition to include families, added detailed rules for lease durations and buyouts to balance farmer security with new farmer opportunities, created a new 11-member advisory committee, and significantly altered the tax credit structure to include caps and a five-year carryforward limit. The effective date was changed from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2050, and implementation was delayed to January 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include families alongside individuals and introduced a new advisory committee structure to oversee the program.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2050, and program implementation was delayed to January 1, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific provisions allowing lease terms of up to 99 years or shorter durations (20-30 years) to support new farmers, along with rules for transferring housing equity when leases end.

Established a new 11-member advisory committee including representatives from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, housing finance, county planning, community land trusts, and farmer advocacy groups.

The tax credit rules were changed to cap the total credit per year and limit the carryforward period to five years instead of indefinitely.

FISCAL

The specific dollar amount appropriated for the program was removed and replaced with a blank line, indicating the amount needs to be determined.

DEFINITION

The program definition was updated to explicitly include 'families' in addition to individuals engaged in bona fide agricultural activities.

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 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

Reported from AEN/HOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 406) 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 HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HOU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Hashimoto, Aquino, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Kanuha.

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: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Richards, DeCoite.

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN/HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 02-03-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to AEN/HOU, WAM.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 22, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors