HI HB2495

State agencies administering agricultural leases, licenses, development programs, or procurement must award additional points or preferences to agricultural projects that voluntarily provide workforce housing or secure housing partnerships for workers.

Projects must demonstrate plans to provide housing for at least 20% of their agricultural workforce to qualify for the preference, with allowances for phased implementation and scaled requirements based on farm size and regional conditions.

The incentive system is voluntary and does not mandate that agricultural operators provide workforce housing or penalize applicants who do not offer it.

The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity must submit a report to the legislature before the 2027 session on implementation, number of applicants receiving preferences, challenges encountered, and recommendations for expanding the framework.

The legislation takes effect July 1, 2026, addressing Hawaii's agricultural labor shortages, where nearly half of producers are 65 or older and farm numbers have declined approximately 10% according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture.