Some priority bills for local food and agriculture have become law with Gov. Josh Green's signature, including one that the governor had previously intended to veto.
One of the measures Green signed into law is House Bill 427, which renames the state's agriculture department as the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, and gives it more powers and resources to fight invasive species.
It establishes a deputy for biosecurity and covers a swath of changes to state rules on invasive species, including allowing the governor to declare a biosecurity emergency in case a pest spreads or threatens to spread, as well as take control of goods, vessels and property and use funds to control the pest.
The bill also sets aside $8.5 million over the next two years for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council and appropriates $500,000 each for the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab and the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response over the next two years.
Senate Bill 1249 aims to help fight agricultural crimes by adding resources and stronger penalties for ag crimes like theft and trespassing.
” Farming and ranching is a tough business — land use, water, labor, energy, supply chain disruptions, natural disasters. These are issues that our farmers deal with every single day. Legislators know about this. What’s not as known is ag crimes and biosecurity — until recently. So we want to thank the legislature for truly making an investment in agriculture. It’s a significant investment, as seen in these bills,” said Brian Miyamoto, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.
Green also signed House Bill 534, which would require stores to provide a country of origin label for poke that they sell — a move meant to protect local fishers and consumers.
The bill was championed by the Hawaiʻi longline fishing industry to protect consumers and local longline fishers from imported fish that is cheaper but often worse in quality.
In a surprise move, Green also signed House Bill 496 to add labeling rules for māmaki tea. Earlier this month, the governor announced he might veto the bill following concerns by māmaki farmers.
