Hawaii legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Hawaii SB763: Relating to the Department of Law Enforcement.
Status: Failed, March 20, 2026
Establishes the Agricultural Enforcement Program within the Department of Law Enforcement. Establishes the Agricultural Enforcement Special Fund. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.
What the bill says
A bill foran act relating to the department of law enforcement.
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FORAN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. SECTION 1. The legislature finds that, in a 2019 report, the United States Department of Agriculture found that agricultural theft and vandalism, and the expense of security measures to prevent these crimes in the State, cost farmers roughly $14,400,000. In 2020, the Hawaii department of agriculture reported sixty-six cases of felony agricultural theft, thirty cases of trespassing, and forty-eight other related offenses in Hawaii county. In 2024, a rancher was killed in a confrontation on Oahu, allegedly stemming from trespassing. This incident highlights the heightened opportunity for violent crimes to occur when weapons are present during disputes on farms and ranches. The legislature further finds that agricultural crime is likely underreported throughout the State. The rural locations of ranches and farms can make it challenging for law enforcement agencies to timely respond to reports, especially agencies that may be understaffed or do not prioritize agricultural crimes SB763 SD2 LRB 25-0983.docx lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Page 2 S.B. NO. S.D. compared to other violent and property crimes. Consequently, the ability to prevent, investigate, and prosecute agricultural crimes statewide must be prioritized to ensure community safety on all islands. The legislature recognizes that there is a recruitment challenge within the department of law enforcement, including the ability to recruit new law enforcement officers to …
Sponsors
- Tim Richards (D, SD-004) · primary sponsor
- Henry Aquino (D, 19)
- Stanley Chang (D, 9)
- Kurt Fevella (R, 20)
- Mike Gabbard (D, 21)
- Troy Hashimoto (D, 5)
- Dru Kanuha (D, 3)
- Angus McKelvey (D, 6)
- Joy San Buenaventura (D, 2)
Latest actions
- : Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).
- : Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
- : Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
- : Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 789).
- : Senate Conferees Appointed: Gabbard Chair; Elefante, DeCoite, Rhoads Co-Chairs; Richards, Awa.
- : Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 779).
- : Senate disagrees with House amendments.
- : Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 656).
- : Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka, Pierick voting no (3) and Representative(s) Cochran, Marten excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
- : Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-08-25.
Votes
- Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka, Pierick voting no (3) and Representative(s) Cochran, Marten excused (2) (April 8, 2025): 46 yea, 3 nay, passed
- FIN: recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (March 28, 2025): 14 yea, 0 nay, passed
- 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, Garrett, Kapela, Kitagawa, Ward excused (March 21, 2025): 46 yea, 0 nay, passed
- JHA: recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (March 19, 2025): 10 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Holt, Iwamoto, Ward excused (4) (March 14, 2025): 47 yea, 0 nay, passed
- AGR: recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (March 12, 2025): 5 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Report, The Department Of Law Enforcement, Appropriations, Penalties, Counties, DLNR, DOA
Common questions
- What is SB763?
- SB763 is a bill in the Hawaii Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Relating to the Department of Law Enforcement.
- What does SB763 do?
- In its own words: A bill foran act relating to the department of law enforcement.
- What is the status of SB763?
- Failed as of March 20, 2026. Latest action: Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409). (March 20, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB763?
- Tim Richards (D, SD-004), with 8 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SB763?
- On the Hawaii Legislature website: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=763&year=2026
Source: official Hawaii record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.