SB352 would expand Hawaii’s pesticide buffer-zone protections and standardize public reporting on restricted use pesticide applications. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture to publish county-by-county summaries of restricted use pesticides using consistent units of measurement, including quantities used, product names, active ingredients, and the area treated. It also updates the state’s buffer-zone law to prohibit the application of restricted use pesticides within one-half mile of school property during normal school hours and within one-half mile of state or county public parks.
The bill’s findings state that pesticide drift can travel far beyond the application site and that children may face neurological and acute health harms from exposure. It cites prior state action banning chlorpyrifos and argues that the existing 100-foot school buffer is inadequate. The measure also includes an exception for whole-structure fumigation and provides that, if there is a conflict with pesticide label instructions, the more restrictive rule controls. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2050, and amends sections 149A-27 and 149A-28 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
Impact
SB352 would materially strengthen Hawaii’s restrictions on restricted use pesticides by replacing the current 100-foot school buffer with a one-half-mile exclusion zone around schools and public parks, while also requiring more uniform public disclosure of pesticide use data. It would amend the Department of Agriculture’s reporting obligations under HRS §149A-27 and revise the buffer-zone provisions in HRS §149A-28, affecting pesticide applicators, agricultural operations, schools, and park-adjacent areas statewide.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill in the Senate committees that considered it. It passed Senate Agriculture and Environment with amendments, then passed Senate Judiciary and Senate Ways and Means unanimously and without further amendment. No committee transcripts were provided, but the recorded votes indicate little formal opposition at the committee stage.
Contention
The main policy tension is between public health protections and the practical effects of a much larger pesticide setback on agricultural and other pesticide users. Supporters appear to emphasize children’s health, pesticide drift, and the need for stronger safeguards around schools and parks. Potential concerns likely center on the size of the one-half-mile buffer, its impact on farming and land management, and how the rule interacts with pesticide label requirements, though the bill resolves label conflicts by applying the more restrictive standard. The delayed effective date of July 1, 2050, may also reflect unresolved implementation or transition concerns.