Part I: Renames the Department of Agriculture as the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (Department) and the Board of Agriculture as the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Part II: Establishes a Deputy Chairperson for Biosecurity. Part III: Authorizes and specifies conditions under which the Department may declare a biosecurity emergency, during which the Department and Governor may take certain actions to prevent the establishment or spread of pests and prohibited or restricted organisms. Broadens the objectives and general actions of the Biosecurity Program. Part IV: Authorizes the Department to establish transitional facilities. Requires the Department to certify and train biosecurity compliance auditors to inspect imported plants and animals. Requires inspection of various items transported interisland. Increases penalties for illegally transporting plants, animals, and microorganisms. Part V: Authorizes the Department to enter into government‑industry agreements for readiness and response to unwanted organisms in the State. Authorizes biosecurity and pest management plans to address, contain, or eradicate pests. Requires the Department to establish a pest dashboard by 12/1/2025. Part VI: Authorizes the Department to adopt rules to establish and enforce the Plant Care Component Program. Authorizes the Department to assess administrative penalties for the enforcement of the Plant Care Component Program. Part VII: Transfers the Hawaii Invasive Species Council from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department. Part VIII: Appropriates funds. (CD1)
Rep. David Tarnas
Sponsored bills
Prohibits the sale of any raw processed ahi by retail establishments without a label that states the country where the ahi was landed. Effective 7/1/2026. (CD1)
Permanently establishes the Women's Court Program in the First Circuit. Establishes a temporary two-year Women's Court Pilot Program within the Kona division of the Third Circuit. Requires reports. Establishes a temporary position. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2027. (CD1)
Permanently establishes and appropriates funds to the Department of Law Enforcement, Office of the Public Defender, and City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Community Outreach Court as a division of the District Court of the First Circuit. (CD1)
Allows an individual wastewater system to serve up to five bedrooms, regardless of the number of dwellings, dwelling units, or accessory units, whether attached or detached, with certain exclusions. (CD1)
Establishes requirements related to vehicular pursuit by law enforcement agencies. Beginning 1/1/2027, requires law enforcement agencies to provide reports to the Department of the Attorney General on all vehicular pursuits. (CD1)
Establishes a two-year pilot program in the Probate Court and Family Court of the First Circuit to fund certain guardianship- and conservatorship‑related court resources in situations where the respondent does not have sufficient funds to pay for one or more of the resources and the court has deemed the resource or resources beneficial. Requires the Judiciary to submit reports to the Governor and Legislature. Appropriates funds. (CD1)
Amends the definition of "registered for work" or "registration for work" under the Hawaii Employment Security Law. Repeals the requirement to post work availability online. Amends the qualifications for unemployed individuals who are able to receive certain unemployment benefits. Beginning 4/1/2027, permits electronic notification of determinations or redeterminations of unemployment claims. Repeals language that limited an individual's ability to change a previously elected withholding status to once during a benefit year. (SD2)
Transfers the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to the Department of Accounting and General Services. Renames the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office to Broadband Office. Repeals broadband duties assigned to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Repeals the Broadband Assistance Advisory Council. Transfers the duty of collecting and posting certain broadband infrastructure notices to the Broadband Office. Establishes the Broadband Revolving Fund. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds. (CD1)
Specifies for a county with a population of more than two hundred thousand but less than five hundred thousand, that the State or county may repair or maintain any street of which the ownership or jurisdiction is in dispute between the State and county. Specifies that the State or county that repaired or maintained the street may only be held liable for acts or omissions arising out of the repair or maintenance of that street that the State or county performed at any time. Deems that repair or maintenance of a street shall not confer ownership or jurisdiction over such street if the ownership or jurisdiction over the street is in dispute between the State and the county. Sunsets 7/1/2030. (CD1)