The Joint House and Senate Conference Committee on Friday adopted the conference draft (CD1) of HB 496 HD2 SD1, a bill relating to mamaki tea that restricts labeling and funds an inspector position at the Department of Agriculture.

The adopted CD1 prohibits use of certain words and misleading Hawaiian imagery, place names and motifs on consumer packages that contain tea or dried leaves from the plant (Pipturus albidus) unless 100% of the tea or dried leaves were cultivated, harvested and dried in Hawaii. The draft also appropriates funds for one full‑time equivalent (FTE) “measurement standard inspector” in the Department of Agriculture, listed at $65,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $65,000 for fiscal year 2027 in the finance committee release referenced by conferees.

The conference managers for the measure recommended passage with amendments. The committee conducted a roll call adopting the CD1; Chair DeCoite and conference cochairs and managers recorded affirmative votes, after which the chair announced, “we have a bill.” The conference draft was released by the finance committee and recorded as having the cited FTE and dollar amounts.

Committee members described the bill as focused on preventing misleading labeling that could imply a product is locally produced when it is not, and on creating an inspection capacity at the Department of Agriculture to verify labeling claims. No amendments or dissent altering the core prohibitions or the single FTE appropriation were recorded during the adoption.

The conference draft takes effect as stated in the CD1 language when approved. The committee did not record additional implementation dates or enforcement procedures beyond the labeling prohibition and the appropriation for the inspector position in the discussion excerpt provided.

The hearing then moved on to other agenda items.