Several Good Food and Regenerative Ag Bills Signed Into Law!
Great News!
Earlier this month, several good food and regenerative agriculture bills were signed into law. While the fight to fix our broken food system remains, this collective win moves us closer towards a more sustainable and equitable local food system.
Did You Know?
Agriculture receives less than 1% of Hawaiʻi’s budget (DOA received a 0.3% budget allocation in 2022).
In addition to this victory, several of the social, economic, environmental justice, and good government priority bills we supported also made it through! To learn more about each of these bills, read our full update below.
A huge mahalo to all the lead advocates, lawmakers, and testifiers who got these bills to the Governor’s desk, and to Governor David Ige for signing them into law.
Good Food & Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative Agriculture Bills
Healthy soils are the foundation of a healthy food system. Unfortunately, plantation-era farming practices in Hawaiʻi heavily depleted soils and left behind toxic pesticide residues.
Unfortunately, a comprehensive healthy soils bill, which would have inventoried the productivity of Hawaiʻi’s soils and developed solutions and incentives for restoring vitality based on the need, was vetoed. However, two important bills providing farmers with incentives for cover crops and composting did recently get signed into law –– marking an important step in the right direction.
Cover cropping and composting are two climate-friendly practices for restoring soil vitality and productivity. In addition to building soil, research shows that both cover cropping and composting keep carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in the soil, providing a win-win for farmers and the environment.
Act 312 / SB2990 SD1 HD1 CD1: Cover Crops
Reimburses farmers and ranchers for up to 75% of the cost of cover crops or green manure.
Act 302 / SB3004 SD1 HD1 CD1: Composting
Food waste can either be a huge environmental problem (an estimated 30-40% of the food supply becomes food waste) or a powerful solution. This act provides reimbursement to farmers and landscapers for up to 50% of the costs of compost.
Creating New Markets for Locally Produced Food
Act 313 / SB2218 SD1 HD1 CD2: Food Hubs
Farmers engaged in regenerative practices tend to be smaller in scale, and accessing markets can be a challenge. Food hubs provide important aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing services for a variety of food producers. Additionally, food hubs provide consumers with a way to easily shop locally as many provide online shopping and delivery options. This new act funds a five-year pilot program which includes grants for new or existing food hubs for..
1) construction or improvement of facilities
or
2) Provision of technical assistance to develop in-state capacity to supply state institutions and other markets.
Act 141 / HB1568 HD2 SD2 CD1: Local Food Procurement
Another way to grow markets for local producers is by mandating public agencies to move communities towards purchasing more locally produced food. HB1568 gradually ramps up the procurement of local food by state agencies from a minimum of 10% in 2025 to a minimum of 50% in 2050.
Growing a New Generation of Farmers
Act 304 / SB3197 SD2 HD1 CD1: Farmer Apprentice Mentioning Program
The average age of a farmer in Hawaiʻi is 65 years old, and new farmers face a myriad of challenges in Hawaiʻi. Act 304 provides support for new farmer mentorship.
Supporting Kalo Farmers
Act 27 / HB1768 HD2 SD2 CD1: Kalo Farming Water Access
Exempts the instream use of water for traditional and customary kalo cultivation practices from the existing process for disposition of water rights. Recognizes, confirms, and protects traditional and customary and kuleana rights to water –– including rights of use, access, delivery, and quality of water.
Fair Labeling for Kona Coffee Farmers
Act 222 / HB1517 HD2 SD2 CD1: Coffee Labeling Study
The Kona Coffee Farmers Association has long been advocating for fair labeling of Kona coffee. Currently, Hawaii coffee blends can be labeled as Kona or other Hawaiʻi regional blends if only 10% of the blend is grown in the named region and 90% is foreign imported coffee. While efforts to enact a 51% minimum for blends fell short, Act 222 will require a study to assess the economic impact on local coffee farmers and the local coffee industry from potential changes to coffee labeling requirements. Hopefully, this study will lead to fair labeling for Kona and other Hawaiʻi coffee producers.
Vetoed or Died in Conference Committee
SB3325 SD2 HD1 CD1: Carbon Sequestration
HB2466 HD2 SD1 CD1: Taro Tax Exemption
SB2989 SD1 HD1 CD1: Healthy Soils
Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) Reform
Unfortunately, SB2473 SD2 HD2 CD1, a bill that HAPA strongly opposed, is the only ADC reform measure that made it through the session and was recently signed into law. SB2473 largely avoids the deeper reforms needed to address the ADC’s failures. The bill transfers the ADC from the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT).
Check out the recent coverage of the ADC in the News:
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser | “Editorial: Legislators Wasted Op to Improve Ag”
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser | “No Legislation After Months of Hawaii Land Management Hearings”
Honolulu Civil Beat | “‘Business As Usual’ for the Embattled Agribusiness Development Corporation?”
Other Environmental, Social, and Economic Justice Measures
There were also several environmental, economic, and social justice bills that we testified in support of that have passed to the Governor’s desk. We deeply appreciate the various organizations and advocates leading the charge on these important measures!
Red Hill / Kapūkaki
Act 29 / SB3124 SD1 HD1: Emergency Appropriation Makes an emergency appropriation to the department of health for response activities and enforcement relating to the petroleum leaks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.
Act 157 / SB2600 SD2 HD2 CD1: Underground Storage Tanks
Prohibits issuance or renewal of permits for future large capacity underground storage tank systems mauka of the underground injection control line.
Economic Justice
Act 114 / HB2510 HD2 SD1 CD1: Raising the Minimum Wage
(1) Making the earned income tax credit refundable and permanent and provide a carryforward of nonrefundable credits previously claimed; and (2) Incrementally increasing the minimum wage to: $12.00 per hour beginning October 1, 2022; $14.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2024; $16.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2026; and $18.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2028.
Exempt a taxpayer whose annual general excise tax liability does not exceed $100 from monthly, quarterly, or semiannual general excise tax filing requirements; provided that the taxpayer files an annual return.
Environmental Justice
Act 152 / HB1644 HD1 SD1 CD1: Environmental Protection
Bans the manufacture, sale, or distribution for sale or use of wraps and liners, plates, food boats, pizza boxes, and firefighting foams that contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), in certain circumstances.
Act 226 / SB2021 SD1 HD2 CD1: Public Land Trust
Establishes the annual share of income and proceeds from the public land trust for the fiscal year 2022-2023 due to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Establishes and appropriates amounts to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Establishes a working group to determine pro rata share of income and proceeds from the public land trust due annually to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Government Transparency & Reclaiming Democracy
Act 283 / SB555 SD1 HD1: Campaign Fundraising
Prohibits elected state and county officials from holding any fundraiser event to raise contributions for which any price is charged or any contribution is suggested for attendance during a regular session or special session of the state legislature.
Act 47 SB2162 SD1 HD1 CD1: Ranked Choice Voting
Establishes ranked-choice voting for special federal elections and special elections of vacant county council seats.
Act 165 / HB1475 HD1 SD1 CD1: Mandatory Ethics Training
Requires state legislators and employees to complete mandatory live or online ethics training courses every four years, subject to certain requirements.
Act 166 / HB1883 HD1 SD1: Elections
Requires the exterior of the envelope containing the ballot package for elections by mail to include instructions on how to obtain language translation services in Hawaiian and certain other non-English languages. Applies to all elections beginning with the 2024 primary election.
Social Justice
Act 117 / HB2309 HD2 SD2 CD1: Diversion, Reentry, and Rehabilitation
Appropriates funds to the department of public safety for identification card machines, to the Hawaiʻi paroling authority for community housing for parolees, and to the department of health for a forensic peer specialist program. Requires a report from each entity prior to the regular session of 2024.
Vetoed by the Governor
HB1567 HD1 SD1 CD1: Cash Bail Reform
Would have eliminated the use of monetary bail and requires defendants to be released on their own recognizance for certain nonviolent offenses, subject to certain exclusions. Requires the department of public safety to take steps to provide video conferencing to a defendant who chooses to participate in a bail report interview via videoconference.
What’s Next?
Stay tuned for more ways to engage with HAPA’s work! We thank our lawmakers and everyone who has taken action in support of progressive policy this legislative session. Robust community engagement in session is important in building momentum towards policy that priorities Hawaiʻi’s land and people before corporate profit.
Together, we can fight for a more just and sustainable Hawaiʻi.
