Relating To The Land Study Bureau Soil Rating System.
Summary
HB1012 would direct the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD) to update Hawaii’s land study bureau soil overall productivity rating system with current soil information. The bill responds to findings from a prior study that the soil data underlying the system has not been comprehensively updated since the 1960s and 1970s, and that there is no regular process for incorporating new data. The measure is intended to improve the accuracy and credibility of soil ratings used to guide agricultural land regulation and to better support the state’s food security and agricultural sustainability goals.
To carry out that work, the bill requires OPSD to incorporate the latest USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service soil data, use other relevant soil classification systems, develop a recurring update process, create detailed digital soil maps, and prepare any needed statutory or county ordinance changes. It also requires collaboration with USDA NRCS and the American Farmland Trust, public review of the updated data and maps, and a final report to the Legislature within 24 months. The bill appropriates $400,000 from general revenues for fiscal year 2025-2026 to fund the effort.
Impact
The bill would not directly rezone land or immediately change agricultural classifications, but it would initiate a statewide update to the soil data framework used in land-use and agricultural regulation. It could affect how state and county agencies evaluate agricultural lands, and it contemplates future statutory and ordinance revisions to align governance with the updated soil ratings. The measure also creates a new administrative process for regular soil-data updates, potentially improving long-term consistency in land-use decision-making.
Sentiment
The available bill text indicates a generally supportive and technical policy approach, with the Legislature emphasizing the need for more accurate, current soil data and public confidence in the rating system. The bill appears framed as a modernization and implementation measure rather than a controversial policy shift. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence in the supplied materials of formal opposition or divided sentiment.
Contention
The main substantive issue identified in the bill is the outdated nature of the existing soil data and whether the current land study bureau rating system remains credible for regulating agricultural lands. Potential points of contention include the cost of the update, the use of consultant services, the scope of agency coordination, and whether updated soil ratings could affect land-use classifications, agricultural development, or county permitting decisions. The bill also anticipates possible statutory and ordinance changes, which could raise concerns among state or county stakeholders about future regulatory impacts.
A resolution to direct the Clerk of the House of Representatives to only present to the Governor enrolled House bills finally passed by both houses of the One Hundred Third Legislature.
Relating to nonsubstantive additions to, revisions of, and corrections in enacted codes, to the nonsubstantive codification or disposition of various laws omitted from enacted codes, and to conforming codifications enacted by the 88th Legislature to other Acts of that legislature.