Relating To The Pesticide Use Revolving Fund.
HB986 increases the statutory ceiling on Hawaii’s pesticide use revolving fund from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000. The bill states that the Department of Agriculture uses this fund to support pesticide registration and licensing, certification and education, compliance monitoring, training workshops, pest eradication and control programs, integrated pest management, and other services for pesticide users.
The measure is intended to give the department greater flexibility to retain and use more money for technical pesticide projects, environmental studies, enforcement, compliance, and biosecurity-related work. Under the bill, only amounts above $3,000,000 at the end of a fiscal year would lapse to the state general fund, and the act would take effect on July 1, 2025.
HB986 amends section 149A-13.5(e), Hawaii Revised Statutes, by raising the amount of unobligated, unencumbered, or unexpended funds that may remain in the pesticide use revolving fund before excess balances lapse to the general fund. The practical effect is to allow the Department of Agriculture to carry a larger reserve in the fund, which may support ongoing pesticide regulation, education, monitoring, environmental review, and biosecurity activities without requiring immediate reappropriation from the legislature.
The bill appears to have a generally supportive and administrative character, with no recorded opposition, committee testimony, or votes in the provided materials. Its stated purpose is straightforward: to strengthen the Department of Agriculture’s ability to carry out pesticide-related responsibilities by increasing available revolving fund capacity. The absence of recorded controversy suggests the measure is likely viewed as a technical funding adjustment rather than a major policy change.
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided transcript or voting history, since none are included. If debated, the likely issue would be whether increasing the fund ceiling from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 is necessary or whether excess balances should instead lapse to the general fund. Potential stakeholders would include the Department of Agriculture, pesticide users, environmental and biosecurity interests, and fiscal watchdogs concerned with fund balances and state revenue retention.