SB 245 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO OWNERSHIP OF AGRICULTURAL LAND.

SB 245 prohibits certain entities from owning, purchasing, or acquiring agricultural land starting January 1, 2026. The bill directly affects entities seeking to buy or hold agricultural land in the state, restricting their ownership rights under this new rule. It does not specify which entities are covered, only that the prohibition applies to "certain entities" as defined in the bill. The measure is currently pending in committee, with a public hearing scheduled for January 27, 2025, and has not yet become law.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB245 → SB245_SD1_PROPOSED · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten to shift from a broad prohibition on corporate ownership of agricultural land to a more nuanced framework that explicitly bans foreign investment and speculative holding while creating specific exemptions for family farms and local residents. The new version adds a detailed definition of 'prohibited entities' and 'exempt entities,' establishes a five-year transition period for compliance, and introduces stricter enforcement measures including fines and mandatory divestiture.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed to specifically target non-resident entities and investment funds while explicitly allowing Hawaii residents and family farms to own and operate agricultural land, replacing the previous blanket ban on corporations.

SCOPE

Changed the prohibition from all corporations to specifically 'prohibited entities' defined as corporations, trusts, non-resident entities, or investment funds.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'prohibited entity,' 'exempt entity,' 'resident,' and 'farming' to clarify who is restricted and who is allowed.

ELIGIBILITY

Created specific exemptions for entities where a majority of owners are active Hawaii residents engaged in farming, with a limit of fifteen shareholders.

REQUIREMENT

Mandated annual reporting for exempt entities to the Department of Agriculture to verify continued compliance.

TIMELINE

Established a five-year transition period for prohibited entities to divest land or restructure operations to qualify for exemptions.

ENFORCEMENT

Added specific penalties including fines of at least $50,000 per year of non-compliance and mandatory divestiture of land.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-10-25 1:01PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

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 17, 2025

Committee

Referred to AEN, JDC/WAM.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 13, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors