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TOP 5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE 2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Posted on Mar. 24, 2025  /  LICH Updates  /  Subscribe 1

As I draft this update, the 2025 legislative session is in the final round of public hearings before sine die (closure of the 2025 session). I was in high school when I participated in the legislative process for the first time, advocating for a bill that would name the humuhumunukunukuapua`a the State Fish, an official symbol of Hawai‘i. It was a confusing process then, and I am still learning the ins and outs, decades later.  The legislative process can be interesting, exciting, messy, confusing, and at times disheartening, but it is an open process where individuals with lived experiences can inform decisions and influence outcomes. As one of your LICH Director Emerita, I volunteered to track legislation relevant to LICH members and I’m reporting back with the top five things you should, in late-night-TV fashion:

Number 5: If you want a state law or funding, you have a short window of opportunity. Hawai‘i has a part-time legislature, spanning just 60 days between mid-January and early May each year. In January, bills are introduced that propose changes or additions to our state laws or funding for individual projects or priorities. The entire state budget for all state agencies is in bill form, HB 300 (bill status page hyperlinked).  This year, legislators are showing a lot of support for agriculture and invasive species bills. There are bills to fund Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council, Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle response, and others. One notable issue is that there is no bill that would fund research and extension work by the Hawai‘i Ant Lab on invasive ants such as little fire ants.

Number 4: Hawai‘i has an open and accessible legislature. You can call, email, or even meet your legislators in person. Many also have social media channels and you can voice your opinion that way. You matter, your perspective matters. Numerous times, legislators quote their constituents when asking questions or making decisions. Even though the legislature is in session part-time, they are still your legislators during the rest of the year. You can communicate your thoughts and priorities anytime.

Number 3: Access and equity have improved as a result of changes made during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you submit written testimony for a bill and you also want to provide verbal testimony, you can choose whether to do so in person OR via Zoom, which saves neighbor islanders (and everyone) money, time, and effort. Just as important is that all bill hearings and informational briefings are live streamed on the Senate and House YouTube channels. Can’t attend a hearing but want to know who said what? You can watch the recording on-demand, today, tomorrow, or next year. It’s an important addition to the public record.

Number 2: There is a re-designed website for the State Legislature and I’m loving the functionality.  If you don’t know a bill’s number, you can look it up by a keyword used in the bill title or description. You can submit testimony online by filling out their form or upload a letter on your company letterhead. At the LICH annual meeting in January, I volunteered to track legislation relevant to LICH. I did this by using a tool on the website to make a “tracking list” which automatically updated anytime there was any action taken on any of the bills. There were several bills of particular relevance to LICH and I contacted LICH President Matt Lyum when it appeared that a particular bill of concern was advancing. As of today, all but one bill on the list I provided to the LICH Board has not advanced—they were either deferred, AKA “killed” by the committee or they “died” because they did not pass through the different committee hearings in the time allotted. These include HB 470, Relating to Noise, which was deferred but would have, beginning 7/1/2028, prohibited the sale of any leaf blower, string trimmer, or weed whacker that does not meet the ANSI B-175.2 class 1 rating, instituted a fine (among others), and SB 352 (status page hyperlinked) which would have prohibited restricted use pesticides from being applied within one-half mile of schools during normal school hours or state or county public parks (among others). LICH members have real-life experience on issues like these, and the Board should consider how to prepare and provide information when appropriate. Each time a bill is heard, it can be amended. When that happens, a number gets added to the original bill number, so you’ll see SB 352 SD1 or SD 2(Senate Draft 1 or Senate Draft 2), etc.

Number 1: It’s not over until it’s over. For bills that are still alive at sine die (May 2), the Governor has until July 9 to veto or line-item veto sections of bills. All other bills become Acts when they are signed into law or become laws without Governor’s signature. As of today, Marcy 22, SB11100, a bill from my original list is alive and may warrant attention. It would be wise to include a second bill that was not on the list provided to the LICH Board because last week was a wild ride in legislative hearings. The contents of SB 1100 and HB 427 (current versions hyperlinked) were swapped. Both bills would, in part, institute new inspection requirements for all agricultural goods moving interisland, including plants. Many of you folks know me and are aware of my day job, advocating for better invasive species prevention and response. However, CGAPS has submitted testimony with comments and concerns because this would be a big change and is being proposed without a clear plan or an assessment of potential costs to local businesses and consumers, and the state’s goal to increase local-grown food.

That’s a lot more detail than I intended, so I’ll leave you with this: the system was built to allow for public input and different perspectives, so citizens can either help steer the course or be pushed by the currents.

Christy Martin is a LICH Director Emerita and has served LICH in a variety of capacities since 2005. Christy is also the Program Manager and Information Officer for the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS). 

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