Bill > SB496

This bill requires the Hawaii Board of Agriculture to develop comprehensive definitions for the terms "bona fide farmer" and "bona fide agricultural activity" to address existing inconsistencies in agricultural policy implementation. The board must create definitions that outline specific criteria including minimum income threshold, primary occupation, farm size or scale, and commercial focus, with the goal of ensuring that agricultural resources are directed to genuine farming operations. The board is mandated to solicit stakeholder input during the definition-drafting process and must submit a report with the proposed definitions and potential legislation to the legislature by twenty days before the 2026 regular legislative session. The bill's underlying purpose is to provide clarity in agricultural resource allocation, tax and land use policies, and to support sustainable agricultural goals by establishing clear, universal definitions that can help identify and support true farmers in the state.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=496&year=2026