HB 501 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Summary

Establishes the Agricultural Enforcement Program within the Department of Law Enforcement. Establishes the Agricultural Enforcement Special Fund. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 14, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB501_HD1 → HB501_HD2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes a new Agricultural Enforcement Program within the Department of Law Enforcement to combat agricultural theft and vandalism. It creates a special fund to finance the program and authorizes the hiring of specific positions, including an assistant chief and investigators. The legislation also adds new sections to the Hawaii Revised Statutes to define the program's structure and duties.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of law enforcement activities to specifically target agricultural crimes, which were previously underreported and under-prioritized. It adds a dedicated enforcement mechanism for this specific area of crime.

ENFORCEMENT

Created a new Agricultural Enforcement Program within the Department of Law Enforcement to focus specifically on agricultural theft and vandalism.

FISCAL

Established a new 'Agricultural Enforcement Special Fund' to receive grants, fees, and legislative appropriations for the program.

REQUIREMENT

Authorized the creation of specific positions including an assistant chief, state law enforcement investigators, and uniformed patrol officers for the program.

DEFINITION

Added new statutory sections 353C-A and 353C-B to the Hawaii Revised Statutes to formally establish the program and fund.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date for the Act to July 1, 3000 (likely a placeholder for future legislative review).

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 723) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Garcia.

lower

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 35) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Jan 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Kusch, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to AGR, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

18 primary · 0 co-sponsors