Bill > HB193

This bill amends the Hawaii Right to Farm Act to refine protections for farming operations while balancing community interests. The bill expands the definition of "farming operation" to explicitly include customary and traditional subsistence farming by native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, while excluding concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and businesses with non-transparent ownership structures. It establishes new criteria for farming operations to be protected against nuisance claims, requiring that such operations were established before surrounding non-agricultural activities, are conducted using generally accepted agricultural practices as defined by the county, and do not cause significant environmental harm or public health concerns. The bill also introduces provisions that allow county ordinances to supersede the act's provisions and requires farming operations to publicly disclose their ownership and beneficiary structures to receive legal protections. Additionally, the bill clarifies the act's purpose to include safeguarding local community rights, protecting environmental and public health interests, ensuring transparency in agricultural operations, preventing misuse of farming protections by large-scale industrial operations, and empowering counties to adopt ordinances that protect residents' and environmental well-being. The changes aim to create a more balanced approach to agricultural operations that considers both farming interests and community standards.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=193&year=2026