Committee backs HB 859 to create agricultural crime prevention program

The House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems voted Jan. 31, 2025 to recommend HB 859 be passed with amendments to strengthen statutory language, including clarifying title language related to hunting and trespass and tightening the bill’s preamble as recommended by the attorney general’s office.

Testimony in support came from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, the attorney general’s office (which provided comments in support), the Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council and Hawaii Farmers Union. Witnesses emphasized the need to protect farmers and ranchers and to provide grants, education, administrative enforcement and other services for the agricultural industry.

During questioning, Department of Agriculture representatives clarified an intended correction: funds deposited into an existing revolving fund described in their testimony should instead be deposited into the agriculture crime prevention fund. The Cattlemen’s Council asked for additional time to review the bill’s large and complex provisions and said some provisions appeared to reduce penalties in places; they formed a working group to prepare recommendations within about two weeks.

At decision making the committee adopted technical and clarifying amendments, directed that blank appropriation amounts be clarified in the standing committee report, and defected the effective date to July 1, 3000 to allow continued drafting. The committee’s recommendation to pass HB 859 with amendments was adopted with aye votes from the chair, vice chair and members present; Representative Ward was recorded absent and excused.

The committee said it would incorporate attorney general and Department of Agriculture clarifications into the draft language before the bill moves on.