SB 2048 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES.

Summary

Prohibits the sale, barter, or donation of any pest-infested item or material. Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to quarantine, treat, or destroy pest-infested items or materials. Imposes penalties on individuals who sell, barter, or donate a pest-infested items or materials. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Last action Feb 20, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB2048 → SB2048_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill update shifts the document from a standard Senate introduction to a Senate District 1 version, updating metadata such as the sponsor and revision numbers. Substantively, it expands the prohibition on selling pest-infested items to include making them 'otherwise available to the public' and clarifies that biocontrol agents must be free of infestation rather than just transferred under a permit. The effective date is set to July 1, 2050, and the report summary is updated to reflect these new provisions.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly ban making pest-infested items available to the public in ways other than selling, bartering, or donating, and it clarified that biocontrol agents must not be infested.

REQUIREMENT

The prohibition on pest-infested items now includes making them 'otherwise available to the public,' broadening the ban beyond just sales, barter, or donation.

The exemption for biocontrol agents was changed to require that the item is not infested or infected with the agent, rather than just being transferred under a permit.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed to July 1, 2050.

TECHNICAL

Metadata was updated to reflect the shift from a general Senate bill to a Senate District 1 bill, including changes to the sponsor name and revision numbers.

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 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from AEN/CPN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2646) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC/WAM.

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, Lamosao, McKelvey, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 11, 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

Feb 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN/CPN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-11-26 10:00AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 22, 2026

Committee

Referred to AEN/CPN, JDC/WAM.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

11 primary · 0 co-sponsors