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Conference committee approves firewood import ban, federal‑quarantine enforcement and energy‑efficiency extension; several agriculture bills rolled
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Summary
The Joint House and Senate Conference committee on April 22 in Room 325 approved a prohibition on non–heat‑treated firewood imports, authorized the state Department of Agriculture to enforce federal quarantines and extended energy efficiency portfolio standards, while deferring or rolling multiple agriculture bills to later sessions.
The Joint House and Senate Conference committee met April 22 in Conference Room 325 and on a series of agriculture and energy measures approved a prohibition on importing non‑heat‑treated firewood, authorized the state Department of Agriculture to enforce federal quarantines and extended the energy efficiency portfolio standards, while deferring or rolling several other agriculture bills for further drafting or budget action.
Committee members said the firewood import measure (conference draft CD1) will prohibit importation of firewood into the state unless the wood is heat treated or authorized by the Department of Agriculture, adopt amendments proposed to the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce by the Department of Agriculture, and take effect upon approval. Senate and House conferees recorded unanimous aye votes among those present; one senator and one representative were excused. The committee recorded agreement and closed the item without additional public amendments.
The committee also approved a measure authorizing the Department of Agriculture to enforce federal quarantines. The conference draft was amended to take effect upon approval; senate and house conferees present voted aye and one senator was excused. Committee members said the authorization is intended to allow state enforcement in coordination with federal quarantine rules.
On energy policy, the committee voted to adopt a conference draft that extends the energy efficiency portfolio standards through 2045 to allow the Public Utilities Commission to continue its energy‑efficiency work. The House recommendation passed with amendments, the Senate conferees present registered aye votes and one senator was excused.
Several other agriculture bills were deferred, rolled or left for further drafting. Committee members said House Bill 428 ("farm to families") received an appropriation of $500,000 for each fiscal year in the budget, held in the labor budget rather than the Department of Agriculture, and the House conferees moved to defer the bill because funding is already provided. House Bill 773, which would have added two grant‑writer positions (one in A funds and one in F funds) was similarly deferred by the House conferees after the budget provided those positions. House Bill 984 (agricultural loans) was rolled to a subsequent conference to await budget‑release procedures. Several large measures — including biosecurity and other agriculture bills — were being worked into conference draft language and were rolled to the next meeting.
For one measure addressing pesticide drift monitoring in schools (SB1304 SD2 HD1), conferees agreed on amending the effective date to upon approval, removing specific language on page 2 lines 5–6 of the HD1, and requested appropriations of $323,484 for fiscal year 2526 and $311,903 for fiscal year 2627; the item was rolled pending release of those funds and final conference draft approval.
Votes at a glance: - SB140 SD2 HD1 (prohibit importation of firewood unless heat treated or authorized by the Department of Agriculture): conference draft adopted; effective upon approval. Senate conferees present voted aye; Senator Awa was excused. House conferees present voted aye; Representative Puric was excused. - SB330 SD1 HD2 (authorize Dept. of Agriculture to enforce federal quarantines): conference draft adopted; effective upon approval. Senate conferees present voted aye; one senator excused. House conferees present voted aye. - HB1051 HD1 SD1 (extend energy efficiency portfolio standards to 2045 for PUC work): conference draft adopted with amendments; effective upon approval. Passed by house conferees and senate conferees present; Senator Fevella excused. - SB1304 SD2 HD1 (pesticide drift monitoring in schools): agreement on amendments and requested appropriations of $323,484 (FY2526) and $311,903 (FY2627); rolled pending release and final conference draft. - HB428 HD1 SD1 (Farm to Families): deferred at the request of house conferees because a $500,000 per‑fiscal‑year appropriation was placed in the budget; funding placed in the labor budget rather than Department of Agriculture budget. - HB773 HD1 SD1 (agriculture, grant‑writer positions): deferred after budget provided two grant‑writer positions (one A funds, one F funds); House conferees moved to defer. - HB984 HD2 SD1 (agricultural loans): rolled to another day to coordinate WAM/finance release and budget‑chair action. - Multiple other bills (including SB177 aquaculture, SB1547/SPURB Feraloon Kauai Farming LLC, HB427 biosecurity and SP1249) were rolled to the next conference meeting for continuing work on CD1 drafts.
Discussion and next steps: Members repeatedly described items that had been funded in the state budget as reasons to defer or remove duplicate statutory action. Several measures were explicitly rolled to the next conference session on April 23 at 09:31 a.m. in Room 325 (for items still needing a conference draft) or otherwise until budget releases are received. The committee adjourned after completing the agreed votes and setting roll dates for remaining items.
