HR 26: Requesting HAWAII'S congressional delegation to petition the united states department of agriculture to address the lack of parity between hawaii and other states AND TERRITORIES pertaining to the export of agricultural goods.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

Requesting HAWAII'S congressional delegation to petition the united states department of agriculture to address the lack of parity between hawaii and other states AND TERRITORIES pertaining to the export of agricultural goods.

     WHEREAS, Hawaii is the only state in the nation that is regulated similarly to United States territories; and

     WHEREAS, under title 7 Code of Federal Regulations part 318, the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture may prohibit or restrict the movement in interstate commerce of any plant or plant product from Hawaii and the territories to the continental United States to prevent the introduction of plant pests on the continent; and

     WHEREAS, the Secretary of Agriculture has determined that it is necessary to prohibit the interstate movement of cut flowers, fruits, vegetables, and plants from Hawaii to the continental United States unless specifically allowed; and

     WHEREAS, the list of specifically allows fruits and vegetables is very limited; and

     WHEREAS, for the State to add more agricultural commodities to the allowable list, it is required that a petition be submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture; and

     WHEREAS, the petition requires a pest risk analysis be conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture; and

     WHEREAS, a long-standing problem is that Hawaii waits in the same queue as foreign countries seeking to export products into the United States and the foreign countries' petitions are often deemed a higher priority and therefore expedited; and

     WHEREAS, shipments of fruits and vegetables require quarantine treatment, inspection, and authorization by the United States Department of Agriculture; and

     WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture's quarantine requirements for agricultural commodities grown in Hawaii has severely limited the State's exports; and

     WHEREAS, this constraint has seriously impacted Hawaii's agricultural sector as the State's growers must wait years, if not decades, for the United States Department of Agriculture's authorization; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that Hawaii's congressional delegation is requested to petition the United States Department of Agriculture to address the lack of parity between Hawaii and other states and territories pertaining to the export of agricultural goods; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation and Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.

Report Title: 

USDA; HDOA; Exports; Quarantine; Restrictions

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1557

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.R. No. 26

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.R. No. 26 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING HAWAII'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO PETITION THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF PARITY BETWEEN HAWAII AND OTHER STATES AND TERRITORIES PERTAINING TO THE EXPORT OF AGRICULTURAL GOODS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request Hawaii's congressional delegation to petition the United States Department of Agriculture to address the lack of parity between Hawaii and other states and territories pertaining to the export of agricultural goods.  

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture. 

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is the only state in the nation regulated similarly to the United States territories.  Under title 7 Code of Federal Regulations part 318, the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture may prohibit or restrict the movement in interstate commerce of any plant or plant product from Hawaii and the territories, unless specifically allowed, to the continental United States to prevent the introduction of plant pests on the continent.  Unfortunately, the allowable list is limited and Hawaii waits in the same queue as foreign countries seeking to export products into the United States, and shipments of fruits and vegetables require quarantine treatment, inspection, and authorization by the United States Department of Agriculture, severely limiting the State's exports. 

Your Committee further finds that a petition must be submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture in order for the State to add more agricultural commodities to the allowable list.  This measure requests that Hawaii's congressional delegation petition the United States Department of Agriculture to address the lack of parity between Hawaii and other states and territories pertaining to the export of agricultural goods.   

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 26 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,