Committee backs okolehao labeling bill, phases local‑ti requirement to 75% by 2030 and 100% by 2035

The House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee on April 1 advanced SB 3248, a bill establishing labeling requirements for okolehao and requiring a baseline that at least 51% of the spirit's ti root (kī) be cultivated or harvested in Hawaii. The committee adopted amendments phasing the local‑root requirement to 75% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Richard Cohen of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity said the department stood on written testimony in support. Producers including Nat, president and co‑founder of Ola Brew, and Brett Jacobson, co‑founder, told lawmakers the industry is growing and that protecting place‑based identity is important for product integrity and local economic opportunity.

Nat said the industry can commercially cultivate kī but that the root is labor‑intensive and expensive to grow and harvest. Jacobson and Nat described fermentation challenges: kī is a starchy root with lower fermentable‑sugar content, and using 100% kī markedly reduces yields. "When you use 100% kī you get less than half the production," one co‑founder said, adding that a high‑kī product may retail near $200 a bottle, while scaled production with blended sugars could reduce price closer to $80 a bottle.

Committee members discussed the practical timeline for growing more local kī and whether the staged phase‑in would unduly burden small producers. Witnesses recommended a gradual approach so that farmers and producers could scale supply without sacrificing product quality. The committee adopted the chair's recommendation to pass with the phased amendment and moved the bill forward.

Next steps: SB 3248 will proceed to the next chamber with the committee's amendment phasing the local‑root requirement to 75% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.