HR 136 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOSECURITY TO COLLABORATE WITH STATE AND COUNTY AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

This House Resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to work with state and county agencies, community organizations, and Native Hawaiian leaders to create a comprehensive statewide food security strategy. The plan aims to address high rates of food insecurity affecting households, particularly children and marginalized communities, by assessing access barriers and recommending policy changes. Key requirements include reducing food costs, expanding access to nutritious and culturally appropriate foods, and aligning efforts with existing county food plans. The Department must submit the strategy to the Legislature by the beginning of the 2028 session to inform future policy and funding decisions.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 16, 2026 Last action Apr 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HR136_HD1 → HR136_HD2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from H.D. 1 to H.D. 2 and updated with new authorship and timestamp data. Substantively, the resolution expanded the scope of the food security strategy by explicitly requiring the assessment of barriers for individuals with disabilities and functional needs, and by mandating alignment with existing programs serving these populations. Additionally, the list of required reporting recipients was updated to include the Chair of the Hawaii Interagency Food Systems Working Group and corrected the title of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs leadership.

Scope change

The bill's scope was broadened to explicitly include individuals with disabilities and access and functional needs in the food security strategy, and the reporting requirements were expanded to include the Chair of the Hawaii Interagency Food Systems Working Group.

TECHNICAL

The bill version was updated from H.D. 1 to H.D. 2, and metadata including author, page count, and timestamps were changed.

REQUIREMENT

The resolution now requires the strategy to assess barriers for individuals with disabilities and access and functional needs.

The resolution mandates that strategies align with existing programs serving individuals with disabilities, such as SNAP and Medicaid HCBS.

A new requirement was added to support community-driven solutions promoting independence and dignity.

The list of officials receiving the final report was updated to include the Chair of the Hawaii Interagency Food Systems Working Group and corrected the title of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chairperson to 'Chairperson of the Board of Trustees'.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Resolution adopted in final form.

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Adopted as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from ECD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1909-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending adoption.

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on ECD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Ilagan, Hussey, Tam, Templo, Yamashita; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Gedeon.

lower

Apr 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on ECD as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).

lower

Apr 2, 2026

Committee

Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1718-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to ECD.

lower

Mar 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Lowen; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Perruso, Quinlan, Matsumoto.

lower

Mar 18, 2026

Committee

Referred to AGR, ECD, referral sheet 19

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Introduced

Offered

lower

8 primary · 0 co-sponsors