Help combat spread of little fire ants, support funding for Hawaiʻi Ant Lab

Mahalo nui to everyone that supported the invasive species omnibus bills (SB3237/HB2758) this session—these measures moved as far as they did because of your support. All is not lost, there is one measure left that can help combat little fire ants, HB2644 HD2 SD1, and it needs your help.

The spread of little fire ants (LFA) in Hawaiʻi poses a significant threat to our environment, culture, public health, economy, and overall quality of life. Support for funding the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab is crucial to mitigating this “silent crisis” before it is too late.

Already established on Hawaiʻi Island and with populations recently detected on O‘ahu, Maui, and Kauaʻi, LFA inflict burning, lasting welts and potential anaphylaxis with their stings, and can also blind domestic house pets. In addition, LFA disrupt native ecosystems, impact agricultural productivity and food security, impede cultural practices, reduce outdoor recreational and economic opportunities, and contribute to the widespread use of potentially harmful pesticides across the landscape, among many other impacts.

The Hawaiʻi Ant Lab is a program of the University of Hawai‘i Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit and is dedicated to increasing knowledge about LFAt biology, management, and eradication. HB2644 HD2 SD1 appropriates funds to support the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab in mitigating the impacts of LFA, and is particularly critical in light of the continual new detections of LFA on O‘ahu and throughout our islands.

This measure is one of the last standing bills this legislative session that addresses our “silent crisis” of invasive pests. HB2644 HD2 SD1 is being heard in conference committee next Monday, April 22.

Please take a moment to email the legislators in the conference committee, using this form, and urge them to pass this important measure. 

Stop the invasion! Testify on invasive pests bill today!

APRIL 5 UPDATE:

Unfortunately, SB3327 SD2 HD1 and HB2758 HD2 SD1 were not heard in their final committees—meaning that these measures are essentially pau for the session.

While this is disappointing, we are not giving up! There is a lot at stake when it comes to invasive pests and bettering Hawaiʻi’s biosecurity.

Please stay tuned for other ways that we can stop the spread of invasive species.

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April 1 update:

It’s crunch time—this Friday is the last day for bills in the 2023-2024 Hawaiʻi Legislature to have their final “standing committee” meeting. SB3237 SD2 HD1 and HB2758 HD2 SD1 need to be heard by this Friday or else they are pau for this session.

Please help keep these bills alive, and stop the further spread of invasive pests that threaten almost every every aspect of our lives in Hawaiʻi. Call or email House Finance Committee Chair, Representative Yamashita and Senate Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads and Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz, and ask that they schedule these critical bills for hearings by the “Decking Deadline.” Sample script below.

Call: Representative Yamashita, (808)586-6200
Email: repyamashita@capitol.hawaii.gov
Email subject: Please hear SB3237 SD2 HD1

Aloha Chair Yamashita, 

My name is ____ and I am from ____. I am writing to respectfully but strongly urge you to hold a hearing on SB3237 SD2 HD1, Relating to Agriculture, by Friday’s Decking deadline. Time is of the essence when it comes to slowing the further spread of invasive species. The financial, human, and environmental costs of inaction in the face of our current and future invasive species crises will only increase exponentially and be felt for generations, if we do not adopt the long-needed quarantine, inspection, licensing, pest designation, and importation protections and controls embodied in this measure.  

This measure is critical to giving the Department of Agriculture the tools and resources it needs to control and eradicate invasive pest species that may impact every aspect of life here in Hawaiʻi. 

Mahalo nui for your consideration of this request.  

HB2758 HD2 SD1

Call: Senator Dela Cruz, (808)586-6090; Senator Rhoads, (808)586-6130 
Email: sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov, senrhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov
Email subject: Please hear HB2758 HD2 SD1

Aloha Chair Dela Cruz and Chair Rhoads, 

My name is ____ and I am from ____. I am writing to respectfully but strongly urge you to hold a hearing on HB2758 HD2 SD1, Relating to Agriculture, by Friday’s Decking deadline. Time is of the essence when it comes to slowing the further spread of invasive species. The financial, human, and environmental costs of inaction in the face of our current and future invasive species crises will only increase exponentially and be felt for generations, if we do not adopt the long-needed quarantine, inspection, licensing, pest designation, and importation protections and controls embodied in this measure.  

This measure is critical to giving the Department of Agriculture the tools and resources it needs to control and eradicate invasive pest species that may impact every aspect of life here in Hawaiʻi. 

Mahalo nui for your consideration of this request.  

March 20 update:

SB3237 SD2 HD1 was passed out of the House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee on Wednesday with amendments.

The measure now needs to be heard in its final committee, the House Finance Committee. Stay tuned for our next chance to protect our islands from the further spread of invasive pests!

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MARCH 18 update:

Exciting news! The Senate omnibus invasive species measure, SB3237 SD2 HD1, has now been scheduled for a hearing before the House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee on Wednesday at 2 p.m. While this latest draft no longer authorizes the invasive species committees or Hawaiʻi Ant Lab to implement eradication and control programs in the event that the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture fails to do so, it still contains a myriad of other long-needed and critically necessary inspection, import, quarantine, licensing, and pest designation authorities that can give our communities a fighting chance at detecting, controlling, and eradicating invasive species like the coconut rhinoceros beetle, little fire ant, and coqui frog. Please take a moment to help protect our islands and future generations from a pest-infested landscape by submitting testimony in support of this bill! Sample testimony and testimony instructions below. 

Sample testimony

Aloha Chair Nakashima, Vice Chair Sayama, and Members of the Committee,

My name is ___ and I am from ___, and I STRONGLY SUPPORT SB3237 SD2 HD1.

We cannot wait any longer before giving the Department of Agriculture the tools and resources it needs to control and eradicate invasive pest species that may impact every aspect of life here in Hawaiʻi, including our environment, food security, cultural integrity, economy, and overall quality of life. The financial, human, and environmental costs of inaction in the face of our current and future invasive species crises will only increase exponentially and be felt for generations, if we do not adopt the long-needed quarantine, inspection, licensing, pest designation, and importation protections and controls embodied in this measure.  

Please pass this bill to give our islands and our people a fighting chance to stop the further introduction and spread of invasive species throughout our Hawaiʻi nei.

Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.

Testimony instructions

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter ”SB3237” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony, select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able! Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.

5. If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4).

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MARCH 15 UPDATE:

SB3237 SD2, establishing a suite of invasive species control and eradication tools, was passed out of the House Agriculture & Food System Committee on Wednesday with amendments with 40+ written testimonies in support. The bill now needs to be heard in the House Consumer Protection and Commerce (Chaired by Representative Nakashima) and Finance (Chaired by Representative Yamashita) Committees.

HB2758 HD2, SB3237 SD2’s companion, was deferred for decision making to Monday, March 18 at 2:45pm by the Senate Agriculture and Environment (Chaired by Senator Gabbard) and Transportation and Culture and the Arts (Chaired by Senator Lee) Committees, with 39+ written testimonies in support. Stay tuned for their decision!

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March 11 update:

SB3237 SD2, the companion of HB2758 HD2 (below), is scheduled to be heard in the House Agriculture and Food Systems Committee on Wednesday, March 13, 8:30am in House conference room 325.

Sample testimony:

Aloha Chair Gates, Vice Chair Kahaloa, and Members of the Committee,

My name is ______ and I STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2758 HD2.

This measure will fill critical gaps in our biosecurity planning and response systems, and mitigate the present and future potential impacts of invasive pests and noxious weeds on our native ecosystems, cultural practices, food security, public health, economy, and the overall quality of life of present and future generations. 

While communities across the islands are now taking action to detect, control, and eradicate pests in their neighborhoods, these efforts have been frustrated by a lack of sufficient government support, including and particularly from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA).  For example, the HDOA’s failure to prohibit the intraisland movement and sale of infested plants and other commodities has likely contributed to the establishment of the coconut rhinoceros beetle on O‘ahu, which has now spread to Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The HDOA’s lack of comprehensive planning and programming to detect and control or eradicate invasive pests and noxious weeds is now confounding efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants across Oʻahu, and leaves all islands at risk of experiencing the devastating consequences of these and other invasive species.

We simply can no longer wait for the HDOA to take the actions we need to comprehensively address the real and present threat of invasive pests and noxious weeds. Comprehensive detection, control, and eradication programs, including the licensing of nurseries and regulatory mechanisms to prevent the import and inter- and intra-island spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds, are needed now. This measure will help to bring our biosecurity systems into the 21st century, and give our communities a much better chance at protecting our islands and future generations from the wide-ranging harms of invasive species.

Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committee to PASS SB3237 SD2. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

March 9 update:

HB2758 HD2, the “Invasive Pest Control” omnibus bill will be heard in the Senate Agriculture and Environment and Transportation and Culture and the Arts Committees on Tuesday, March 12, 3pm in Senate conference room 224. 

This bill establishes a suite of invasive species control and eradication tools that we desperately need, if we want to save ourselves and future generations from the wide-ranging impacts of a pest-infested landscape.⁠ You can learn more about this critical bill and all it does below.

Sample testimony:

Aloha Chair Lee, Chair Gabbard, Vice Chair Inouye, Vice Chair Richards, and Members of the Committees,

My name is ______ and I STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2758 HD2.

This measure will fill critical gaps in our biosecurity planning and response systems, and mitigate the present and future potential impacts of invasive pests and noxious weeds on our native ecosystems, cultural practices, food security, public health, economy, and the overall quality of life of present and future generations. 

While communities across the islands are now taking action to detect, control, and eradicate pests in their neighborhoods, these efforts have been frustrated by a lack of sufficient government support, including and particularly from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA).  For example, the HDOA’s failure to prohibit the intraisland movement and sale of infested plants and other commodities has likely contributed to the establishment of the coconut rhinoceros beetle on O‘ahu, which has now spread to Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The HDOA’s lack of comprehensive planning and programming to detect and control or eradicate invasive pests and noxious weeds is now confounding efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants across Oʻahu, and leaves all islands at risk of experiencing the devastating consequences of these and other invasive species.

We simply can no longer wait for the HDOA to take the actions we need to comprehensively address the real and present threat of invasive pests and noxious weeds. Comprehensive detection, control, and eradication programs, including the licensing of nurseries and regulatory mechanisms to prevent the import and inter- and intra-island spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds, are needed now. This measure will help to bring our biosecurity systems into the 21st century, and give our communities a much better chance at protecting our islands and future generations from the wide-ranging harms of invasive species.

Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committees to PASS HB2758 HD2. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

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March 1 update:

SB3237 SD1 was UNANIMOUSLY passed out of the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means Committee! This was the bills final hearing in the Senate, it will now move to the House. Mahalo everyone!

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FEBRUARY 28 update:

SB3237 SD1, the companion to HB2758 HD2, has been rescued from certain death, and scheduled for its final hearing in the Senate before the Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees on Friday, March 1 at 10:31 a.m. in Conference Room 211.

Please take a moment to submit testimony in support of this important measure!  Incredibly, both House and Senate omnibus invasive species bills are now poised to make crossover, thanks in huge part to the outpouring of support by concerned community members like you. Sample testimony and testimony instructions are provided below.

Sample testimony for SB3237 SD1: 

Aloha Chair Rhoads, Chair Dela Cruz, Vice Chair Gabbard, Vice Chair Moriwaki, and Members of the Committees,

My name is ______ and I STRONGLY SUPPORT SB3237 SD1.

This measure will fill critical gaps in our biosecurity planning and response systems, and mitigate the present and future potential impacts of invasive pests and noxious weeds on our native ecosystems, cultural practices, food security, public health, economy, and the overall quality of life of present and future generations. 

While communities across the islands are now taking action to detect, control, and eradicate pests in their neighborhoods, these efforts have been frustrated by a lack of sufficient government support, including and particularly from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA).  For example, the HDOA’s failure to prohibit the intraisland movement and sale of infested plants and other commodities has likely contributed to the establishment of the coconut rhinoceros beetle on O‘ahu, which has now spread to Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The HDOA’s lack of comprehensive planning and programming to detect and control or eradicate invasive pests and noxious weeds is now confounding efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants across Oʻahu, and leaves all islands at risk of experiencing the devastating consequences of these and other invasive species.

We simply can no longer wait for the HDOA to take the actions we need to comprehensively address the real and present threat of invasive pests and noxious weeds. Comprehensive detection, control, and eradication programs, including the licensing of nurseries and regulatory mechanisms to prevent the import and inter- and intra-island spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds, are needed now. This measure will help to bring our biosecurity systems into the 21st century, and give our communities a much better chance at protecting our islands and future generations from the wide-ranging harms of invasive species.

Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committees to PASS SB3237 SD1. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Testimony instructions:

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter ”SB3237” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony. Note: No oral testimony will be accepted at this hearing.

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FEBRUARY 23 UPDATE:

HB2758 was passed UNANIMOUSLY out of the House Finance Committee yesterday! Mahalo nui to everyone that heeded the last minute call to action and submitted testimony.

Fingers crossed we are headed over to the Senate!

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FEBRUARY 21 UPDATE:

The House Invasive Species Omnibus Bill, HB2758 HD2, has been scheduled for its final hearing in the House of Representatives, before the House Finance Committee at its 1:00 p.m. hearing *tomorrow,* February 22, in room 308.

Please take a moment to submit testimony in support of this important measure!  Sustained community support has been key to its continued progress, and will be critical to keeping this bill alive in the weeks ahead (and mahalo nunui to all who have supported this bill in its prior hearings - we’ve made it this far all thanks to you!).

Invasive species threaten to radically alter life as we know it in Hawaiʻi, with pests such as the little fire ant (LFA) and coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) already impacting farms and food production, cultural practices, recreational activities, public health, and the economy of regions where they are established. Unfortunately, numerous regulatory gaps continue to hinder our collective ability to fight back against invasive species - gaps that would be filled by the comprehensive provisions of HB2758 HD2.  

Fortunately, overwhelming public support has helped to keep this bill alive and moving through the lawmaking process, and will be critical to getting it to the finish line this legislative session. Please submit your testimony now in support of HB2758 HD2 - sample testimony is included below.

Sample testimony for HB2758 HD2: 

Aloha Chair Yamashita, Vice Chair Kitagawa, and Members of the Committee,

My name is ______ and I STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2758 HD2.

This measure will fill critical gaps in our biosecurity planning and response systems, and mitigate the present and future potential impacts of invasive pests and noxious weeds on our native ecosystems, cultural practices, food security, public health, economy, and the overall quality of life of present and future generations. 

While communities across the islands are now taking action to detect, control, and eradicate pests in their neighborhoods, these efforts have been frustrated by a lack of sufficient government support, including and particularly from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA).  For example, the HDOA’s failure to prohibit the intraisland movement and sale of infested plants and other commodities has likely contributed to the establishment of the coconut rhinoceros beetle on O‘ahu, which has now spread to Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The HDOA’s lack of comprehensive planning and programming to detect and control or eradicate invasive pests and noxious weeds is now confounding efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants across Oʻahu, and leaves all islands at risk of experiencing the devastating consequences of these and other invasive species.

We simply can no longer wait for the HDOA to take the actions we need to comprehensively address the real and present threat of invasive pests and noxious weeds. Comprehensive detection, control, and eradication programs, including the licensing of nurseries and regulatory mechanisms to prevent the import and inter- and intra-island spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds, are needed now. This measure will help to bring our biosecurity systems into the 21st century, and give our communities a much better chance at protecting our islands and future generations from the wide-ranging harms of invasive species.

Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committee to PASS HB2758 HD2. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Testimony instructions:

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter ”HB2758” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony, select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able! Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.

5. If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4)

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February 15 update:

HB2758 was passed out of the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee with amendments. The votes were: 4 Ayes: Reps Nakashima, Sayama, Amato, Belatti; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Onishi, Pierick; and 5 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Hussey-Burdick, Gates, Lowen, Tam. You can watch the hearing here.

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February 12 update:

Great news! HB2758 HD1, which was just passed out of the House Agriculture & Food Systems Committee last week (with many thanks to Chair Gates and Vice Chair Kahaloa, and all who testified in support!), has now been scheduled for its next hearing before the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, on Wednesday, February 14, at 2 pm.

Sample testimony below and scroll a little further down for more details on the bill and how we got here.

Sample testimony for HB2758 HD1: 

Aloha Chair Nakashima, Vice Chair Sayama, and Members of the Committee,

My name is ______ and I STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2758 HD1.

This measure will fill critical gaps in our biosecurity planning and response systems, and mitigate the present and future potential impacts of invasive pests and noxious weeds on our native ecosystems, cultural practices, food security, public health, economy, and the overall quality of life of present and future generations. 

While communities across the islands are taking action to detect, control, and eradicate pests in their neighborhoods, these efforts have been frustrated by a lack of sufficient government support, including and particularly from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA).  For example, the HDOA’s failure to prohibit the intraisland movement and sale of infested plants and other commodities has likely contributed to the establishment of the coconut rhinoceros beetle on O‘ahu, which has now spread to Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The HDOA’s lack of comprehensive planning and programming to detect and control or eradicate invasive pests and noxious weeds is now confounding efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants across Oʻahu, and leaves all islands at risk of experiencing the devastating consequences of these or other invasive species.

We simply can no longer wait for the HDOA to take the actions we need to comprehensively address the real and present threat of invasive pests and noxious weeds. Comprehensive detection, control, and eradication programs, including the licensing of nurseries and regulatory mechanisms to prevent the import and inter- and intra-island spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds, are needed now. This measure will help to bring our biosecurity systems into the 21st century, and give our communities a much better chance at protecting our islands and future generations from the wide-ranging harms of invasive pest species.

Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committee to PASS HB2758 HD1. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Testimony instructions:

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter ”HB2758” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony, select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able! Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.

5. If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4)

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February 9 update:

The House Committee on Agriculture passed HB2758 with amendments after two dozen testimonies in support (with less than 48 hours notice). SB3237 was heard on Thursday where the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Transportation and Culture and the Arts deferred the measure until February 12 and 13 for decision making.  You can watch the hearing here. HB2758 now needs to be heard in Consumer Protection & Commerce and Finance committees.

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BILL(S) BACKGROUND

Invasive species threaten to radically alter life as we know it in Hawaiʻi, with pests such as the little fire ant (LFA) and coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) already impacting farms and food production, cultural practices, recreational activities, public health, and the economy of regions where they are established.

It is all hands on deck to stop these and other invasive species in their tracks. While we wait for the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) to promulgate long-awaited proposed rules to finally prohibit the intra-island movement of certain invasive species like the LFA and CRB, proposed legislation is also needed to establish and/or strengthen our biosecurity protections in a timely manner. One such measure, HB2758, has a hearing TOMORROW, Wednesday, February 7 at 9:30am. Its companion, SB3237, has a hearing on Thursday, February 8, at 3 p.m. Please take a moment to submit testimony NOW – sample testimony and more details below.

HDOA Invasive Species Bill: HB2758/SB3237 

What it does

HB2758/SB3237 establishes a suite of invasive species control and eradication tools and processes, including by designating little fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles, and two-lined spittlebugs as pests “for control or eradication,” while statutorily designating dozens of additional pests and noxious weeds; establishing processes and authorities for the Board of Agriculture and HDOA to detect, control, and eradicate these and other invasive pests and noxious weeds, including by emergency actions; allowing the counties and other organizations such as the invasive species committees to develop and implement control and eradication programs where the HDOA has failed to do so; prohibiting the importation and transportation of known invasive species and their host materials; and establishing a plant nursery licensing program, to facilitate inspections, best management practices, and quarantines if necessary; among many other provisions.

See the bulleted list at the end of this email for a summarized rundown of the provisions of this measure.

Why this is important

Invasive species can impact every aspect of life in Hawaiʻi—jeopardizing our native ecosystems, food security, cultural practices, public health, fire safety, climate resiliency, economy, and overall quality of life. The impacts from invasive pests and noxious weeds may also be irreversible once they are established, and the limited window of time to eradicate newly introduced invasive species requires that we maintain robust and comprehensive biosecurity planning and response systems. 

Unfortunately, the HDOA has been unable to take proactive action to fulfill its kuleana and build regulatory systems that can meaningfully protect us from such biological threats. 

Hawaiʻi must get serious about our biosecurity systems before it is too late. This measure addresses multiple long-standing gaps in invasive species planning and response programs and establishes comprehensive protections against the further introduction and spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds. We cannot afford to tolerate the business as usual status quo, if we do not want to pass on a pest-ridden future to our children and grandchildren.  

Sample testimony for HB2758: 

Aloha Chair Gates, Vice Chair Kahaloa, and Members of the Committee,

My name is ______ and I STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2758.

This measure will fill critical gaps in our biosecurity planning and response systems, and mitigate the present and future potential impacts of invasive pests and noxious weeds on our native ecosystems, cultural practices, food security, public health, economy, and the overall quality of life of present and future generations. 

While communities across the islands are now taking action to detect, control, and eradicate pests in their neighborhoods, these efforts have been frustrated by a lack of sufficient government support, including and particularly from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA).  For example, the HDOA’s failure to prohibit the intraisland movement and sale of infested plants and other commodities has likely contributed to the establishment of the coconut rhinoceros beetle on O‘ahu, which has now spread to Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The HDOA’s lack of comprehensive planning and programming to detect and control or eradicate invasive pests and noxious weeds is now confounding efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants across Oʻahu, and leaves all islands at risk of experiencing the devastating consequences of these or other invasive species.

We simply can no longer wait for the HDOA to take the actions we need to comprehensively address the real and present threat of invasive pests and noxious weeds. Comprehensive detection, control, and eradication programs, including the licensing of nurseries and regulatory mechanisms to prevent the import and inter- and intra-island spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds, are needed now. This measure will help to bring our biosecurity systems into the 21st century, and give our communities a much better chance at protecting our islands and future generations from the wide-ranging harms of invasive pest species.

Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committee to PASS HB2758. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Sample testimony for SB3237:

Aloha Chair Gabbard, Chair Lee, Vice Chair Richards, and Vice Chair Inouye, and Members of the Committee,

My name is ______ and I STRONGLY SUPPORT SB3237. 

This measure will fill critical gaps in our biosecurity planning and response systems, and mitigate the present and future potential impacts of invasive pests and noxious weeds on our native ecosystems, cultural practices, food security, public health, economy, and the overall quality of life of present and future generations. 

While communities across the islands are now taking action to detect, control, and eradicate pests in their neighborhoods, these efforts have been frustrated by a lack of sufficient government support, including and particularly from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA).  For example, the HDOA’s failure to prohibit the intraisland movement and sale of infested plants and other commodities has likely contributed to the establishment of the coconut rhinoceros beetle on O‘ahu, which has now spread to Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The HDOA’s lack of comprehensive planning and programming to detect and control or eradicate invasive pests and noxious weeds is now confounding efforts to stop the spread of little fire ants across Oʻahu, and leaves all islands at risk of experiencing the devastating consequences of these or other invasive species.

We simply can no longer wait for the HDOA to take the actions we need to comprehensively address the real and present threat of invasive pests and noxious weeds. Comprehensive detection, control, and eradication programs, including the licensing of nurseries and regulatory mechanisms to prevent the import and inter- and intra-island spread of invasive pests and noxious weeds, are needed now. This measure will help to bring our biosecurity systems into the 21st century, and give our communities a much better chance at protecting our islands.

Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committees to PASS SB3237. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Testimony instructions:

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter ”HB2758/SB3237” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony, select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able! Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.

5. If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4)

Summary of the Omnibus Biosecurity Bill:

HB2758/SB3237 is an omnibus measure that will comprehensively address the longstanding gaps in our biosecurity infrastructure. Among other provisions, this bill: 

• Designates the CRB, LFA, and two-lined spittlebug as statutorily designated pests “for control or eradication” (in addition to the current coqui frog); 

• Requires the HDOA to update its list of pests designated for control or eradication every two years; 

• Allows the HDOA to take emergency action to eradicate pests that impact native species, public health and welfare, agriculture, etc. regardless of whether the pest is designated or not;

• Requires the HDOA to implement programs, including quarantine measures, to stop the spread or introduction of designated pests; 

• Empowers the invasive species committees, the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab, or the counties to establish programs for invasive pest control or eradication when the HDOA fails to do so;

• Allows the invasive species committees and Hawaiʻi Ant Lab employees to also use the HDOA process to inspect properties for control and eradication program purposes; 

• Creates a comprehensive licensing system for local nurseries to provide for inspection, best management practices, and quarantine in the case of infestation, among other safeguards;

• Designates 31 known pests and allows the Board of Agriculture to designate others, and allows the Board to quarantine these pests and pest host material and prohibit them from being moved out of areas designated by the Board where these pests may be found;

• Allows the HDOA to take emergency action to quarantine these pests and pest host material in newly infested areas for thirty days or until the next Board of Agriculture meeting;

• Prohibits the import of firewood, a known vector for invasive species introductions, with certain exceptions;

• Authorizes the HDOA to enter into cooperative agreements with federal, state, and county agencies to enforce federal quarantines; 

• Prohibits the import of certain citrus pests and diseases as well as “regulated articles” from areas subject to federal quarantines due to the presence of these pests;

• Requires a compliance agreement or a permit to import of pests or pest-infested materials;

• Clarifies the inspection authority of agricultural inspectors; 

• Prohibits the importation or movement of noxious weeds except for the disposal of such weeds;

• Prohibits the inter-island and intra-island transport of pests, pest host material, and other items specified by the department except by permit or a compliance agreement, or after treatment specified by an HDOA official;

• Requires the Board of Agriculture to receive and consider applications for new noxious weed designations at least twice a year and make its list of noxious weeds available on its website;

• Authorizes HDOA to take emergency action to designate noxious weeds; 

• Authorizes HDOA to develop and implement noxious weed control and eradication programs; 

• Requires lessees of state agricultural lands to control noxious weeds on their leased lands; and

• Prohibits noxious weeds from being imported or moved within the state subject to exceptions;

• Among other provisions.

ACT NOW: Water security and disaster resilience down to the wire

This Friday is the last day for bills in the 2023-2024 Hawaiʻi Legislature to have their final “standing committee” meeting. Accordingly, it is crunch time for bills good and bad that have not yet met this pressing deadline. Of note:

Red Hill, Water Security, and Our Public Trust:

HB2690 HD2 SD1 is the last remaining measure that recognizes the decades-old problem of political interference in the implementation of our Water Code.

Originally drafted as a well-meaning but slightly myopic proposal to address the consequences of political inhibition surrounding the Red Hill Facility, HB2690 HD2 SD1 has now been amended to much more proactively insulate the Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management, as well as a Red Hill “WAI Policy Coordinator,” from undue political influence. 

This bill would prevent the Governor of Hawaiʻi from exercising almost unilateral control over the Water Commission’s work, by requiring the Chair of the Commission to be selected by its members instead of by the Governor, and allowing the Commission to retain its own attorney rather than relying on the Governor’s Attorney General. 

A WAI Policy Coordinator, tasked with the politically charged kuleana of seeking Navy accountability and the full remediation of Oʻahu’s sole source aquifer, would also be sheltered under this Commission’s executive director, who would be transparently selected and evaluated by the entire Commission (rather than hired and potentially fired by a single Chair’s behind-the-scenes decision). 

Notably, the nominating committee tasked with nominating replacement Water Commissioners for the Governor’s consideration would also be amended, to include a representative of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) - a long-due addition, given OHA beneficiaries’ unique Native Hawaiian rights and deep cultural connections to our islands’ precious wai.  

Despite garnering overwhelming and nearly unanimous support in hundreds of testimonies submitted this session, a similar measure, SB3327, failed to meet a previous deadline for a hearing before the House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Committee. That bill was passed by the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees, who will now need to hear HB2690 HD2 SD1 by this Friday. 

Please help keep HB2690 HD2 SD1 alive, and help put an end to the generations-long control of our public trust water resources by powerful corporate and military interests. Call or email Senate Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz and Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads, and ask that they schedule this bill for a joint committee hearing by the “Decking Deadline.” Sample script below.

Call: Senator Rhoads, (808)586-6130; Senator Dela Cruz, (808)586-6090
Email: senrhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov, sendelacruz@capitol.hawai.gov 
Email subject: Please hear HB2690 HD2 SD1

Aloha Chair Dela Cruz and Chair Rhoads,

My name is ____ and I am from ____. I am writing to respectfully but strongly urge you to hold a hearing on HB2690 HD2 SD1, Relating to Water, by Friday’s Decking deadline. Water has been and will always be our most precious resource, and even more so in our ever-worsening climate crisis. We must therefore do everything we can to uphold the public trust in its protection, conservation, and fair allocation. 

This measure may be one of the most important and historic pieces of legislation for the future water security and well-being of our islands. Please, help keep this bill alive and ensure its passage this legislative session, if not for our present generations, then for those that will follow us long after we are gone.

Mahalo nui for your consideration of this request.  

Invasive Species

SB3237 SD2 HD1 and HB2758 HD2 SD1, the omnibus invasive species bills that would finally fill decades-old gaps in our islands’ biosecurity framework, passed through all but the last of their committees. However, despite overwhelming support from farmers, doctors, cultural practitioners, educators, ecologists, and everyday folks, both bills are currently stalled and will die if not scheduled for a hearing this week.

Life as we know it in Hawaiʻi is threatened by invasive pests like little fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles, and others. Please take a moment to help protect our islands from further destruction by invasive species by contacting the chairs of the House Finance Committee and the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees, urging them to hear these critical invasive species bills by this Friday. 

SB3237 SD2 HD1

Call: Representative Yamashita, (808)586-6200
Email: repyamashita@capitol.hawaii.gov
Email subject: Please hear SB3237 SD2 HD1

Aloha Chair Yamashita, 

My name is ____ and I am from ____. I am writing to respectfully but strongly urge you to hold a hearing on SB3237 SD2 HD1, Relating to Agriculture, by Friday’s Decking deadline. Time is of the essence when it comes to slowing the further spread of invasive species. The financial, human, and environmental costs of inaction in the face of our current and future invasive species crises will only increase exponentially and be felt for generations, if we do not adopt the long-needed quarantine, inspection, licensing, pest designation, and importation protections and controls embodied in this measure.  

This measure is critical to giving the Department of Agriculture the tools and resources it needs to control and eradicate invasive pest species that may impact every aspect of life here in Hawaiʻi. 

Mahalo nui for your consideration of this request.  

HB2758 HD2 SD1

Call: Senator Dela Cruz, (808)586-6090; Senator Rhoads, (808)586-6130 
Email: sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov, senrhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov
Email subject: Please hear HB2758 HD2 SD1

Aloha Chair Dela Cruz and Chair Rhoads, 

My name is ____ and I am from ____. I am writing to respectfully but strongly urge you to hold a hearing on HB2758 HD2 SD1, Relating to Agriculture, by Friday’s Decking deadline. Time is of the essence when it comes to slowing the further spread of invasive species. The financial, human, and environmental costs of inaction in the face of our current and future invasive species crises will only increase exponentially and be felt for generations, if we do not adopt the long-needed quarantine, inspection, licensing, pest designation, and importation protections and controls embodied in this measure.  

This measure is critical to giving the Department of Agriculture the tools and resources it needs to control and eradicate invasive pest species that may impact every aspect of life here in Hawaiʻi. 

Mahalo nui for your consideration of this request.  

Good Bills that Need Testimony: Loko Iʻa, Seabed Mining, and Housing Relief

We do have some good news regarding important bills that did get scheduled for their final hearing this week. Please consider also submitting testimony in support of these measures -  read on below (testimony instructions are also at the bottom of this email):

Loko I‘a Restocking Support - SB2329 SD1 HD1 has a hearing scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, at 2:30 p.m. before the House Finance Committee. This measure would support our islands’ food security, cultural integrity, ecological health, and overall resilience by funding programs for the production of puaʻama (juvenile mullet), to benefit our loko iʻa (Hawaiian fishpond) practitioners. 

Sample testimony:

My name is _____, a resident of ____, and I strongly support SB2329 SD1 HD1.

This bill will provide critical support for loko iʻa practitioners, and significantly enhance their efforts to build our islands’ food security, perpetuate cultural values and practices, restore our nearshore ecosystems, and ensure our islands’ resilience for generations to come. Please pass this measure as an important, smart investment in the future of our Hawaiʻi nei.

Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.  

Seabed Mining Ban - SB2575 HD1 has a hearing scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, at 4 p.m. before the House Finance Committee. Please consider supporting this measure to prevent the destruction of our nearshore ecosystems, by preemptively banning seabed mining in Hawaiʻi’s marine waters.  

Sample testimony: 

My name is _____, a resident of ____, and I strongly support SB2575 HD1.

This measure will make clear that the extractive exploitation of our ocean - to the detriment of rare, highly sensitive, and still-unexplored ecosystems and species - is off the table for corporate speculators and profit-driven interests. We simply cannot risk the permanent loss of some of our islands' most unique and intrinsically invaluable natural and native ecosystems for short-term, short-sighted, and unsustainable financial gain. Please pass this measure so that we can head off the temptation for deep sea mining interests to establish a foothold in our Hawaiʻi nei, and ensure our public trust ocean resources remain intact for present and future generations.

Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.

Housing Relief - SB2919 SD2 HD1 also has a hearing scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, at 4 p.m. before the House Finance Committee. This measure would close a loophole preventing counties from reserving their limited housing supply for long-term residential uses, rather than for short-term vacation rentals. Please consider supporting this proposal to allow counties to directly address their residents’ housing needs, and head off a housing crisis that has been increasingly used to attack environmental and cultural protections.

Sample testimony: 

My name is _____, a resident of ____, and I strongly support SB2919 SD2 HD1.

Our housing crisis has been exploited time and again to attack our environmental and cultural protections, in many cases without any direct benefit to our affordable housing supply. In contrast, this measure will empower counties to provide direct housing relief to their residents, and mitigate the impacts of real estate speculation on housing costs, by allowing counties to decide whether and how their housing units may be used for short-term vacation rentals instead of for long-term housing. Please pass this measure as a viable strategy to boost our long-term residential housing supply, without dismantling legal protections critical to the resilience and well-being of our islands and people.  

Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.

Testimony instructions

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter ”SB2329/2575/2919” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony, select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able! Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.

5. If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4).

Please encourage your friends, family, and networks to do the same!

Crossover Check-in

Yesterday was first crossover, marking the midway point of the 2024 Legislative Session! Thanks to the consistent engagement and advocacy of our members and supporters, we have been able to defeat many misguided measures, and have made remarkable progress on others. Read on for a summary of highlights from the legislature thus far:

Red Hill Bills

Still alive is HB2690 HD2, which would establish a WAI Policy Coordinator, additional staff positions to assist the coordinator, and a Red Hill remediation special fund. We have supported this bill with amendments to better protect the Policy Coordinator’s work from being influenced or undermined by political pressure in the years and decades it will take to fully remediate our ʻāina and wai.

Also alive is HB1896 HD1, which would expand the ban on PFAS-containing products passed via Act 152 in 2022. This bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food packaging, food serviceware, and cosmetic and personal care products containing PFAS “forever chemicals” beginning on January 1, 2027. A substantially similar bill, SB504 SD1 HD3, died at the last minute during conference committee last year - fingers crossed that we can get this year’s proposal past the finish line this year!

Unfortunately, most of the other Red Hill-related bills have failed to meet their legislative deadlines. 

Wai Bills

SB3327 SD1 is a transformative measure that would finally implement decades-old recommendations to free the Water Commission from special interest political influence in the management of our precious wai. This bill would authorize the Water Commission to choose its own Chair (currently selected by the Governor) and hire independent legal counsel (rather than rely on the Governor's Attorney General). It would also clarify that employment decisions over the Commission’s lead staff person should be made by the Commission and not the Chair alone, based on objective and transparent criteria. It would further give the Commission the authority to enforce its laws and orders with meaningful penalties, and streamline its authority to respond to water emergencies such as those threatened by Red Hill or the Lāhainā fires (read more about SB3327 SD1 at the Sierra Club's Capitol Watch website). 

With overwhelming community support, including and particularly from the Maui Komohana community, SB3327 SD1 was heard and passed by the Senate Water and Land, Judiciary, and Ways and Means Committees. Stay tuned as we continue to push this measure through the House of Representatives.

Also still in play is HB1544 HD1, a bill that would give the Water Commission the authority to levy meaningful fines against recalcitrant and deep-pocket water code violators. A substantially similar bill was vetoed by Governor Josh Green last year, despite the urging of over three dozen community organizations and countless individuals to let it pass into law. According to Water Commission staff, Governor Green’s veto justification last year appeared to be based on testimony from the Land Use Research Foundation, which misleadingly suggested that affordable housing would somehow be impacted by county water departments’ immediate implementation of the increased fines. Legislators fortunately so far have seen past the exploitative fearmongering around our housing challenges by opponents of this measure, and it has passed over to the Senate.

Invasive Species

It appears that our legislators have heard the calls from their constituents for meaningful and proactive action to control and eradicate invasive pests, like the little fire ant and coconut rhinoceros beetle, that could permanently impact life on these islands. Thanks in large part to the voluminous and clear testimonies from the community, HB2758 HD2, the omnibus biosecurity bill, has sailed through its House Committee hearings, despite protests by the Department of Agriculture. SB3237 SD1, in a last minute hearing by the Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees, was also heard and passed on March 1st. Continued community support will be critical to keeping these bills moving through the Senate and House, respectively.

Clean Elections

SB2381 SD2, a “clean elections” bill that would offer public campaign funding for candidates for office, has already crossed over from the Senate to the House. This is another potentially transformative measure that would free both incumbents and challengers from having to solicit campaign contributions from deep-pocket special interests, and instead spend their time and energy focused on the needs and interests of their constituents - including those who care deeply about protecting our environmental and cultural integrity for current and future generations. 

Bad Bills Countered/Stopped

As usual, we have seen a number of measures that would have resulted in long-term sacrifices of our environmental and cultural integrity, public health, food security, and quality of life, for questionable public benefit. Fortunately, thanks in large part to community advocates and thoughtful decisionmakers, many of these bills have been stopped or amended to mitigate their potential harmful impacts. These include:

Land Use Commission

SB2175 - this measure would have stripped the Land Use Commission of its ability to protect our food security, cultural practices, natural resources, affordable housing opportunities, and other important public interests in land use district changes (e.g., agricultural to urban) of up to 100 acres at a time. Water and Land Chair Lorraine Inouye, hearing the concerns of dozens of testifiers, fortunately deferred this measure after its first hearing.

SB2204 SD1 - this measure would have allowed counties to forego “technical studies” - including environmental review - in petitioning the Land Use Commission for land use district boundary changes involving potentially thousands of acres at a time. Water and Land Chair Lorraine Inouye, responding to community concerns, amended this bill to ensure that counties are not excused from submitting “archaeological, cultural, and biological survey” studies as part of their district boundary amendment petitions for changes to the agricultural and conservation districts. While this was a positive amendment, the bill language still raised the risk of potentially incomplete petitions that would prevent the LUC from fulfilling its statutory and constitutional responsibilities. Fortunately, the bill died after failing to receive a hearing by the Judiciary Committee.

Environmental Review

SB3047 SD1 would have created a new category of actions exempted from the environmental review requirements of our environmental review law, namely, certain “affordable” housing projects in the urban districts. Unlike the current and carefully balanced regulatory exemption for certain affordable housing projects, this measure would have completely exempted all such projects from any environmental review, even if they raised the potential for severe ecological, cultural, public health, or economic impacts. Moreover, the public would not be given any notice regarding the exemption of these projects from environmental review, unlike under the current regulatory requirements. Fortunately, SB3047 SD1 died after not receiving a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee. Unfortunately, its companion, HB2538 HD1, has made it to crossover. Stay tuned for our next chance to stop HB2538 HD1.

Threatened and Native Species

HB2472 and SB3161 would have rolled back existing protections for threatened species, lowering the standard for protective measures and even giving the Department of Land and Natural Resources the ability to override the judgment and expertise of the Endangered Species Recovery Committee, among other provisions. Fortunately, both measures were deferred after their first hearing.

Energy and Resiliency

As originally proposed, SB2994 and SB2335 would have prevented our building codes from being updated for the better part of a decade, locking in building standards that do not respond to the rapidly changing realities of our climate crisis, and thereby jeopardizing human health and safety as well as our islands’ climate resiliency, and even foreclosing critical federal funding opportunities that are contingent on up-to-date codes. SB2335 would have further given developer interest groups more seats on the State Building Code Council, and required a “cost benefit analysis” before any updates are made to the state building code. SB2335 was killed by the Government Operations committee, and SB2994 was amended in its SD1 to ensure that energy code updates still occurred on the current schedule, mitigating concerns regarding the climate resiliency of new buildings. HB2089 HD1, a very similar bill to SB2994, was also amended to ensure that the energy code remains updated on the current schedule - read more about the remaining concerns with this bill below.

Bad Bills Still Alive

Unfortunately, there are still a small handful of bills that raise serious concerns regarding their impact to our environmental and cultural integrity. These include: 

HB2358 HD1, the companion to SB3047 SD1 described above, which would completely exempt certain “affordable” housing projects from any of the requirements under our environmental review law.

SB2677 SD1, which would roll back our general requirement that new single-family residential units be equipped with solar hot water heaters. As currently drafted, the bill would allow for variances to be issued for gas-powered heaters for units in a "low or moderate income" district, or in a region prone to wildfires. Given the health impacts of gas appliances, and the ever-increasing costs of fossil fuels, this bill would saddle future tenants of new residential developments with both the costs and health impacts of gas water heaters while also walking back Hawaiʻi’s commitments to a carbon negative future.   

HB2089 HD1, a similar bill to SB2994 SD1, would delay the adoption of the International Building Code and International Residential Code into the State Building Code for nearly a decade at a time (current law requires these codes, along with the International Energy Code, to be adopted within two years of their publication). This would result in buildings that do not reflect the latest technological, planning, and construction standards developed in response to climate threats such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. Given what we know about the impending impacts of the climate crisis, this measure may render our residents and communities more vulnerable to climate impacts, in an era when we should be doing all we can to protect ourselves from an increasingly unstable environment. 

These are just some of the many, many bills that we have tracked and testified on this legislative session. As you can see, we cannot do this work alone - and in many cases, engagement and advocacy from readers like you have made all the difference in what has been accomplished thus far. THANK YOU SO MUCH to all who have responded to our action alerts, shared bills of concern, and otherwise done your part to engage with the legislature this year!