URGING THE LEGISLATURE TO ADVANCE LEGISLATION AND SUPPORT POLICIES THAT SAFEGUARD INDIVIDUALS IN THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY, THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR LIVESTOCK AND OTHER PROPERTY, AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS UNDER THEIR EMPLOYMENT OR CARE BY AMENDING THE STATE'S SELF‑DEFENSE LAWS TO DEPRIORITIZE THE DUTY TO RETREAT IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

This Senate Resolution (SR 74) urges Hawaii's legislature to amend state self-defense laws to protect agricultural workers. It proposes removing the legal requirement to retreat when defending agricultural property, livestock, or individuals under their care on farms or ranches. The resolution specifies this would apply only if the person is not the original aggressor, not engaged in criminal activity, and lawfully present on agricultural land. As a resolution - not a binding law - it serves as a formal request for the legislature to advance such policy changes, motivated by a 2024 incident where a rancher was fatally shot while protecting his cattle.