HB 498 Summary

• Establishes the Hawaii Agricultural Crimes Council as an inter-agency body placed within the Department of Agriculture to develop agricultural crime prevention programs, coordinate enforcement efforts, and track agricultural crimes through a centralized database.

• Council membership includes the chairperson of the board of agriculture, attorney general, prosecuting attorneys from each county, director of law enforcement, each county police chief, and gubernatorial appointees representing agricultural producers, environmental organizations, and community representatives.

• Council appoints an exempt executive director and may appoint and commission investigators with full law enforcement powers to investigate agricultural crimes statewide and work with counties on crime prevention and prosecution.

• Creates the Agricultural Enforcement Special Fund to be administered by the Department of Agriculture, funded by grants, donations, fees, penalties, fines collected by the council, and legislative appropriations, with proceeds dedicated to training, equipment, technology, and operations of the council.

• Appropriates unspecified amounts for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to establish an executive director position, staff assistant, deputy inspector positions, and preliminary operating budget for the council; effective July 1, 3000.