Bill > SB1591

This bill addresses the ongoing avian influenza (bird flu) situation in Hawaii by appropriating funds to the Department of Health and Department of Agriculture to prevent, monitor, and respond to the H5N1 bird flu virus. The legislation comes in response to the widespread detection of bird flu across the United States, with 928 dairy herds and over 136 million poultry affected, and the first confirmed case in Hawaii occurring in November 2024 in a central Oahu bird flock. While the current risk to humans is considered low, with 67 confirmed cases mostly among farm workers and only one fatality, the bill aims to enhance biosecurity, increase testing of birds, humans, and wastewater, and provide public education about the virus. The bill appropriates an unspecified amount of general state revenues for fiscal year 2025-2026, to be used by both the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture for bird flu prevention, monitoring, and response efforts. The legislation will take effect on July 1, 2025, and is designed to help understand the spread of bird flu in Hawaii and mitigate potential risks to local agriculture and public health.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=1591&year=2026