Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment

Hello, ... And good afternoon all for joining today's AEN GBO deferred hearing. It's Tuesday, February 17th, and we're convened in room 225 and video conferencing, which includes the audio and video of remote participants being streamed live on YouTube.

In the unlikely event that this hearing is cut short, the Committee will reconvene to discuss any outstanding business on Wednesday, February 18th at 3:05pm during AAN's time slot. And a public notice will be posted on the legislature's website. So we have just one measure. This is Decision making on SB2094.

Requiring state agencies that monitor environmental toxins and pollutants to establish environmental action levels, or EALs to ensure the preservation of a safe environment. Prohibits modifications to EALs unless certain procedural requirements are met. Chair?

What's your recommendation, sir.

So, recommendation on this measure. We'd like to note that the cost to develop a government secure portal website would be approximately $125,000. Secondly, the estimate cost for creating and hosting webinars on potential EALs would be approximately $15,000. And we'd like to insert these amounts into the Committee report for consideration as well as pass with an amendment to defect the date to July 1, 2050.

Sounds good. Appreciate you making those amendments.

Okay, any discussion? Chair votes aye.

Just a minute Chair, we're catching up the paperwork. On Senate Bill 2094 passing with amendments. Chair votes aye. Vice Chair votes aye. Senator DeCoite is excused. Senator Rhoads, excused. Senator Awa. Jury of three in favor. Motion is adopted.

Thank you, Members. Okay, Committee on Government Operations. Same recommendation, 2094 Senate Draft 1. I vote yes.

Vice Chair, both sides. Senator Hashimoto, excused. Senator Moriwaki, excused. Senator Awa. Measure is adopted.

Okay, thank you.

And that ends the three o' clock joint.

Okay, good afternoon. We're reconvening today, Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 3:00pm for decision making on measures previously heard. On February 3rd, 5th and 10th, we are convened in Conference Room 225. Meeting is being streamed live on YouTube. Decision making meeting. Unlikely event we have to abruptly end this decision making hearing due to technical difficulties.

The Committee will reconvene, or any - discuss any outstanding business at 3pm Thursday, February 19, 2026 in room 225 with a public notice posted on the legislature's website. First up, we had Senate Bill 2862. I'd like to keep this going for further conversation, recognize the concerns. And so with that, we're going to amend the preamble to make it broader to cover multiple positions. We're going to make it inclusive of anyone appointed under HRS 346-381.5 to be confirmable.

And then we're going to make tech amendments, non substantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency, including clarifying that the submission of GMs under Section 3a applies to gubernatorial appointees who are not subject to the Senate's advice and consent and are still serving in the appointed position.

And because of these changes, we're going to also add a defective date of 2525. That's all we have. Members that are present, questions or comments? If not, recommendation on 2062 is as Senate Draft 1 with noting the excuse of my Vice Chair. Are there any other WRs or Nos. Seeing none. This recommendation was adopted.

Give me a second. I'm having to multitask a little here. Okay, next up, 2781 relating to lei. We want to keep this one going too. We heard all the concerns that were raised and so given that, we're going to do a Senate Draft 1 and we're going to create a working group to identify, gather and report on any existing studies or assessments or data by DAB or University of Hawaii that have already examined the following: number distribution of flower farms in Hawaii, type and volume of lei materials currently produced locally, and the capacity of local floriculture to meet the public.

The expected public demand as well as their ongoing private demand, require the working group to conduct a statewide study of Hawaii's flower culture industry looking at production capacity and barriers faced by local growers, and the working group will be comprised of the Chair of DAB, the President of the Farm Bureau or the representative, President of the Hawaii Floricultural Nursery Association or their representative, the CTAHR Dean or their representative,

one Member from the florist industry named by the Speaker of the House, and one Member of the lei maker producer industry named by the Senate President. Also going to add technical, non substantive amendments for clarity and consistency. Effective date of 2525. Members are there any other questions or comments. If not recommendation is a Senate Draft 1. I vote yes.

Noting the excuse of my Vice Chair and Senator Hashimoto, Senator Moriwaki. Senator Awa. And that concludes that one. Okay. Okay. Next up, 3015. We're going to keep this one moving as well.

What we're going to do to address the concerns and make it universal for everybody is we're going to adopt California's definition of PII, which has been sorely needed in the state. Among all these different branches. We're going to make it applicable to government agency branches and political subdivisions to remove and disallow PII under the new definition.

Create a private cause of action if PII is identified and not removed. Report to the Legislature on compliance of the Act. We're going to address the preamble to address current technology and issues with government entities as trusted sources in relation to PII.

We're going to also make several technical non substantive amendments for clarity and consistency and because of the changes we're going to add a defective date of 2525. Members, questions? Comments? If not, 3015 Senate Draft 1. Noting the excuse of my Vice Chair Senator Gabbard. Are there any WRs or Nos. No for Senator Awa. Okay. Anybody else? Seeing none, that one has been adopted. Okay.

Relating to procurement. Next one up is 3230. And this Bill here - what we're going to do is we're going to remove the category statutory prohibition for procurements services for project management through non governmental third party contracts and add language that oversight of third party contracts remain state agencies inherently governmental responsibility. Reference to Procurement Circular Number 2014-14. This is the amendments that were requested by the State Procurement Office in moving this Bill forward. And a Defective date of 2525

Members, questions? Comments? If not, recommendation is a Senate Draft 1. Noting the excuse of Vice Chair Gabbard. Are there any WRs or Nos? Seeing none, that recommendation has been adopted and I believe that takes it to the end of this decision making agenda. We will take a short recess before beginning our joint GBO Health and Human Service agenda. All right, welcome back.