Bills: HB1318

Keywords: HB 1318, pesticide labeling, pesticide warning, duty to warn, failure to warn, labeling defense, EPA-approved label, Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, FIFRA, North Dakota agriculture commissioner, product liability, tort reform, preemption, carcinogenicity classification, human health assessment, pesticide regulation, agricultural chemicals, herbicide, insecticide, rodenticide

Summary: The Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee met on April 10 and took up House Bill 1318, a bill dealing with pesticide-related liability and warning-label issues. The chair explained that the bill had drawn strong interest from both agriculture and public health sides, and that the committee was trying to craft language that would protect consumers without unduly harming agricultural production. He said the committee had worked through multiple draft amendments and was now considering Amendment 1006, which was described as a compromise combining earlier proposals and narrowing the bill’s scope to pesticides registered with the state commissioner. Members discussed whether the amendment would weaken the original intent of the bill. Senator Myrdal said the revised language added needed guardrails and addressed concerns about overly broad preemption language and warning-label standards, while also preserving agriculture’s ability to operate. After a motion to rescind the earlier action on the bill passed, Amendment 1006 was adopted unanimously by the members present. A motion to move the bill without committee recommendation failed for lack of a second. The committee then voted on House Bill 1318 as amended. The do-pass motion passed on a roll call vote, with Senators Weber, Luick, Myrdal, and Lemm voting yes, and Senators Marcellais and Weston voting no. The chair said he would carry the bill. The meeting ended with members thanking the chair and staff for their work during the session, and the chair noted he might call the committee back if a conference committee report required further input.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the current language is systemic insecticides, which is not just neonicotinoids.
• These modern insecticide to the planter.
• But the most impactful consequence from these systemic insecticides is food loss.
• My planter still has a 1977 model planter with insecticide boxes on it.
• <00:39:57.520> boxes 1977 model planter has insecticide boxes 1977 model planter has insecticide

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• > or<00:59:22.799> harm<00:59:23.040> the insecticides that kill or harm the insecticides
• These modern insecticide to the planter.
• is food these systemic insecticides is food loss. loss. loss.
• My planter still has a 1977 model planter has insecticide boxes on it.
• <01:35:33.360> boxes 1977 model planter has insecticide boxes 1977 model planter has insecticide

Bills: HF3965, HF3704, HF3260, HF3718

Keywords: pesticide, agriculture, environmental protection, health risks, chemical safety, local agriculture, insecticides, pollinators, seeds, environmental health, neonicotinoids, systemic insecticides, civil penalties, pest management, land trends, report, appropriation, farmers, veterinary medicine, veterinary technology

Transcript Highlights:

• > designed systematic insect insecticides designed systematic insect insecticides designed to<
• neonicotenoid is um it's an insecticide neonicotenoid is um it's an insecticide used<00:29:12.559
• reducing use of these insecticides. reducing use of these insecticides.
• Quebec is treated with an insecticide. Quebec is treated with an insecticide.
• without the insecticide. without the insecticide.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• material if they're moving in hydra, which is used for nitrogen on corn, or their herbicides or insecticides
• material if they're moving in hydra, which is used for nitrogen on corn, or their herbicides or insecticides
• material if they're moving in hydra, which is used for nitrogen on corn, or their herbicides or insecticides
• material if they're moving in hydra, which is used for nitrogen on corn, or their herbicides or insecticides
• material if they're moving in hydra, which is used for nitrogen on corn, or their herbicides or insecticides

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from its previous meeting. It then considered several transportation-related bills, beginning with House Bill 157 on special license plates. The bill, as amended by a committee substitute, would create a commercial Friends of Agriculture plate to support agriculture-related programs, with proceeds going to the same fund used by the existing farm tag. Members also discussed the committee substitute’s fee exemptions for military-related plates, and the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. The committee next took up House Bill 682 on utility relocation. Testimony from Charter Communications explained that the bill would update outdated law so cable and broadband providers are treated like public utilities for reimbursement when forced to relocate facilities for highway projects, while preserving the Transportation Cabinet’s discretion over reimbursements. Members asked about the current reimbursement process and fiscal impact; witnesses said the bill does not change cabinet discretion and therefore has no fiscal note. The bill was reported favorably. House Bill 443, which would shift the east end signage of the H. Rogers Parkway farther east to US 23 in Prestonsburg to reflect the already four-laned section and support future federal funding efforts, also received favorable expression. House Bill 444, a commercial driver’s licensing measure brought by the Transportation Cabinet and amended by committee substitute, would align Kentucky reporting requirements with federal law and allow drivers age 18 and older to qualify for a hazardous materials endorsement, with limits excluding school buses and interstate transport. Members discussed the safety rationale and the need for drivers in agriculture and propane delivery; the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 493 on towing and storage of motor vehicles. Representative Pollock and a Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance witness described it as a cleanup bill aimed at transparency and enforcement against predatory towing and inflated charges, and members noted constituent concerns about towing practices. The bill was reported favorably with a committee substitute attached. The committee also reviewed Administrative Regulation 600 KAR 1:041, which updates disadvantaged business enterprise certification rules to conform to federal nomenclature and related federal changes; the regulation was reviewed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• The native bee population is now on the decline due to the insecticides called neonicotinoids, which
• Neonics, I'm sure, as you know, are widely used insecticides that are highly toxic to bees and directly
• administration in New York to conduct a comprehensive risk-benefit analysis for neonicotinoid insecticides
• The demonstration of the uselessness of insecticide extended thereafter to hundreds of thousands of acres
• This includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property. A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches. Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• They include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, and many other products that we use
• insecticides fungicides disinfectants and<00:20:12.440> many<00:20:12.640> other<00:20
• The Pesticides Branch enforces and implements the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
• <00:21:34.799> Fungicide<00:21:35.360> and Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Federal
• <00:41:32.280> known which is a very toxic insecticide known which is a very toxic insecticide

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing of Senate and House committees focused on restricted use pesticides in Hawaiʻi, with opening remarks framing the issue as one of health, environmental impact, and state-level regulation. The briefing reviewed the history of pesticide disclosure efforts, including prior county actions, a 2016 court ruling that shifted responsibility to the state, and Act 45, which enabled disclosure of restricted use pesticide data. Speakers highlighted 2019 reporting data showing concentrated use in parts of Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, especially near schools and communities, and identified fumigants such as 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium as among the heaviest-used products. Concerns were raised about potential links to cancer, respiratory illness, reproductive harms, Parkinson’s disease, and developmental effects, as well as the lack of long-term mixture studies and the need for better buffer zones, reporting, and farmer transition support. The Department of Agriculture’s pesticides program manager described the state’s regulatory framework, explaining the distinction between general use and restricted use pesticides and the department’s role under FIFRA and Hawaiʻi law. He outlined the branch’s enforcement, education/certification, registration, and laboratory functions, including inspections, complaint response, market surveillance, applicator certification, product review, groundwater protection modeling, and special registrations. He also noted staffing and resource limitations, including the absence of an in-house toxicologist and long-term monitoring capacity, and compared Hawaiʻi’s resources to California’s much larger pesticide regulatory program. He said the department supports Act 231, which was passed the previous year and is moving forward this session. A pediatrician speaking for the Hawaiʻi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized concerns about chronic low-level pesticide exposure in children, citing AAP policy statements and technical reports that associate exposure with cancer, leukemia, birth defects, neurobehavioral issues, and asthma. Drawing on work with the Kauaʻi Joint Fact Finding Task Force, the speaker said the group found the west side of the island to be an unhealthy community but could not prove causation because of missing drift, geospatial, and biomarker data. The testimony pointed to elevated cancer mortality, pneumonia admissions, obesity, dialysis, and developmental delay indicators, and described concerns about pesticide drift near schools and homes, including reports of children becoming ill after nearby spraying and low levels of chlorpyrifos detected in dust samples. An environmental health scientist from the University of Hawaiʻi described a pilot project using restricted use pesticide data in a public health context. She said the project began after seeing maps of Central Oʻahu pesticide use and aimed to pair GIS data with health and ethnicity data, while also conducting community focus groups. Preliminary focus group themes included calls to action, voting and policymaker awareness, concern about pesticide use near homes and fields, lack of community consent, and a desire to stay engaged. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that are systemic in nature.
• They have become the most commonly used insecticide both nationally and globally.
• a class of insecticides that are systemic<01:38:31.280> in<01:38:31.600> nature.
• <01:38:36.560> both the most commonly used insecticide both the most commonly used insecticide
• We have no idea because insecticides.

Bills: SB2350, SB2349, SB2407, SB3320

Keywords: agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, agribusiness, Department of Agriculture, regulatory functions, employee benefits, restorative practices, sustainability, environmental stewardship, local food systems, Native Hawaiian, workforce development, agricultural development, Hawaii Island, property manager, state employment, SB3320, Hawaii, Agribusiness Development Corporation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SP 2350, which would transfer oversight of the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Development Division and the aquaculture and livestock support services branch to the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The Department of Agriculture and ADC both testified, with ADC opposing the bill as written while supporting the goal of strengthening agriculture. ADC said the transfer could create federal operational and coordination risks, jeopardize federal funding and program continuity, and was unnecessary because ADC is a business development entity, not a regulatory agency. The Hawaii Farmers Union also expressed concern that moving the programs could weaken the department’s ability to access federal resources, while the Hawaii Farm Bureau submitted written testimony and the Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association and H-Plan were noted as supporting the measure; the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council was noted as opposing it. Much of the discussion focused on aquaculture’s economic potential and the role of regulation, permitting, and funding. Committee members questioned why aquaculture had not grown faster, citing current gross revenues of about $66 million last year, a prior high of $82 million, and a possible long-term target of $500 million. Testimony identified permitting and feed costs as major barriers, along with market conditions and water quality issues affecting producers. ADC described ongoing efforts on feed development, permitting streamlining, coastal-state collaboration on seaweed and restorative aquaculture, and national advocacy for more parity in seafood import standards. Members also pressed the Department of Agriculture on its leadership and priorities, criticizing the lack of bills and resources dedicated to aquaculture and asking whether the department should have more authority to pursue land purchases and development opportunities. The department said it relies on divisions and industry feedback for bill ideas, noted it funds an annual aquaculture survey, and said it was pursuing congressional earmarks and other funding for aquaculture parks, research, and export/import issues. ADC said it would work with the department if the bill passed, but that its current statute does not give it regulatory authority and any such change would require a statutory amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're willing to work with us on very short notice should we need any insecticide approved.
• But the producer will need local sprays, local insecticide sprays.
• This is like every single farm in South America has three or four cans of insecticide sprays.
• But the producer will need local sprays, local insecticide sprays.
• This is like every single farm in South America has three or four cans of insecticide sprays.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on preparedness for the New World screwworm threat and brought together the House Committees on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and Agriculture and Livestock. USDA officials, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Texas Animal Health Commission leadership described the pest as a serious risk to livestock, wildlife, rural economies, and beef prices, and emphasized coordination among federal, state, industry, and Mexican partners. Witnesses repeatedly stressed that Texas is currently seeing no confirmed U.S. detections, but that recent confirmed cases in northern Mexico, including Nuevo León, remain a concern because of their proximity to the border. USDA testimony outlined current surveillance and response efforts, including more than 120 screw worm-specific traps along the Texas border and neighboring states, thousands of additional dual-purpose traps, wildlife inspections, weekly coordination with Mexico’s Senasica, and a new USDA New World Screwworm Directorate. Officials said the existing Panama sterile fly facility is maxed out at about 100 million flies per week, while a dispersal facility in Tampico is helping move flies farther north in Mexico. They also described plans for a retrofitted sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to come online in 2026, and a new domestic production facility at Moore Air Base, with phase one targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and phase two adding substantially more capacity later. Members pressed USDA on timelines, production capacity, the reliability of Mexican reporting, the risk from wildlife, and whether modular or mobile facilities could be deployed faster. USDA said it is also exploring innovative technologies, including a genetically engineered sterile male fly, but that such tools still require EPA review and field validation. Commissioner Miller highlighted Texas biosecurity efforts, five permanent inspection stations, cooperation with FDA and EPA on treatments such as Exzolt, and other pest issues affecting Texas agriculture. He also noted research into fly bait and private-sector efforts to speed sterile fly production. Texas Animal Health Commission officials described extensive state preparedness work, including weekly coordination calls, field response trainings, outreach to producers and veterinarians, and a Texas Screwworm Response Team. They said Texas has trained more than 100 inspectors and other personnel, with additional trainings planned, and that the state is expanding its cattle fever tick rider program. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing; the main action was the exchange of testimony and questions about readiness, surveillance, and facility timelines.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been pushback on the... insecticide that's used in the bait.
• So if anybody gets hung up on the insecticide, it's not a deal killer.
• Therefore, if they wanted to work on insecticides, they have to have special measures in place to ensure
• And I don't remember what all it was, but it was some kind of insecticide. It's nasty stuff.
• But the fly is actually pretty protected from insecticides when it's in that pupal case.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there's been pushed back on the, uh, uh, insecticide.
• So if, if anybody gets hung up on the insecticide, it's not a, not a deal killer.
• Therefore, if they wanted to work on insecticides, they have to have special measures in place to make
• sure that none of those insecticides made it into the production plant and crashed the production of
• I don't remember what all was in some kind of insecticide. It's nasty stuff.

Transcript Highlights:

• livestock production. increased need for veterinary services, increased need for medication and insecticide
• Unfortunately, most of the insecticides that were available when the Screwworm was last in Texas are
• We currently have two insecticides for on-animal treatment.
• This includes both reinstating known and developing new insecticides to provide products for livestock
• The last question I have is about the new insecticides.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, FIFRA,
• which under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, FIFRA, which displays a label by
• First of all, the FIFRA, or Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, establishes the EPA
• that for any pesticide required to be registered with the Ag Commissioner, that is under federal insecticide
• labeling based from the EPA, also with the most recent human health assessment performed under federal insecticide

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, roll call, and a quorum present, then took up several procedural motions, including suspending House rules for three legislative days and replacing conference committee members on Senate Bill 2282 and SCR 4007. The chamber also recognized visiting student groups from Grafton/Pleasant Valley and Shiloh School. Later, the House agreed to several conference committee reports and moved a number of measures through final passage or final disposition. House Bill 1428, which would have created a sales tax exemption for clothing sold by thrift stores or nonprofit corporations, drew extensive debate over tax policy, revenue loss, and possible conflicts with streamlined sales tax rules. Supporters argued it would help lower-income shoppers and nonprofit thrift stores, while opponents said it created an unfair advantage and could reduce state and local revenue. The conference report was adopted, but the bill ultimately failed on final vote, 37-54. House Bill 1440, relating to cigar lounges, was amended in conference and then passed 75-17. House Bill 1460, concerning adult foster care for private-pay adults, electronic monitoring, and a legislative study, was also adopted and passed overwhelmingly, 91-1. The House then passed Senate Bill 2224, which revises gaming commission structure and gaming stamp requirements, adds Attorney General enforcement provisions, and includes a $25,000 general fund appropriation, by a vote of 88-0. Senate Bill 2327, which expands uses of the agriculture diversification and development fund and appropriates $15 million to it, passed 74-17 after a member was excused from voting due to a personal interest. Senate Bill 2267, creating a regulatory framework for on-site wastewater treatment systems and shifting licensing authority to the Department of Environmental Quality, passed 82-10, and Senate Bill 2276, addressing joint water resource boards for cross-county projects, passed 90-1. The most contentious debate centered on Senate Bill 2160, which would move the state employee health plan from grandfathered status to a non-grandfathered ACA-compliant plan and appropriate about $6.6 million for the transition. Supporters said it would give the PERS board more flexibility, expand preventive and other benefits, and potentially slow premium growth without charging employees premiums. Opponents warned it could raise out-of-pocket costs, add mandated benefits, and shift costs to employees, while also arguing the bill had not been adequately studied. After extended debate, the House passed SB 2160 by a vote of 55-37. The chamber also concurred in Senate amendments to House Bill 1318, a pesticide labeling bill, and placed it on final passage, but the transcript ends before the final vote on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seven dust used for insecticide, Seven dust used for insecticide upon your garden is sold, and it's used
• used for insecticide. used for insecticide.
• <00:45:39.839> upon Seven dust used for insecticide upon Seven dust used for insecticide upon
• Is this about the cost of pesticides and insecticides?
• I wish It was a wonderful insecticide.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of an insecticides.
• A local insecticide spray. right, in the long-acting prevention, preventative. you've three twins, sorry
• And it, you know, when I hear the words insecticides and things like that, they do great things, but
• But the producer will need local sprays, local. insecticide sprays, this like is every single. farm in
• South America has three or four cans of the insecticide sprays. as the rancher has it, as we have our

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• livestock production, increased need for veterinary services, increased need for medication and insecticide
• Unfortunately, most of the insecticides that were available when the screw worm was last in Texas are
• We currently have 2 insecticides for on-animal treatments.
• Agile management includes both reinstating known and developing new insecticides to provide products
• And then the last question I have is you mentioned new insecticides, and I'm no expert on this.

Transcript Highlights:

• One bill states that a farmer could only use seed treated with insecticide if the farmer proves to the
• farmer could only use a seed treated farmer could only use a seed treated with<01:09:02.719> insecticide
• if the farmer proves to with insecticide if the farmer proves to the<01:09:05.440> government
• in the state unless with an insecticide in the state unless the<01:09:33.600> farm<01:09:34.080
• , herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and<01:29:59.920>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, these are an insecticide that is placed on seeds, and as a seed grows, some of that insecticide is
• <00:50:11.440> that<00:50:11.560> is Um these are uh an insecticide that is Um these
• are uh an insecticide that is placed<00:50:12.000> on<00:50:12.160> seeds<00:50:12.800
• that<00:50:14.160> some<00:50:14.320> of<00:50:14.400> that<00:50:14.520> insecticide
• <00:50:15.800> is that some of that insecticide is that some of that insecticide is absorbed

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Given that neonic are considered to be the most widely used class of insecticides, we believe it would
• > we<00:32:59.000> believe<00:32:59.559> um<00:32:59.679> it Class of insecticides
• we believe um it Class of insecticides we believe um it would<00:32:59.840> be<00:32:59.960><
• > question for control are you using question for control are you using neeno<00:53:41.680> insecticides
• no what do you neeno insecticides no what do you use<00:53:46.400> we<00:53:46.599> use

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing began on SP 547, which would create incentives for graywater recycling systems and atmospheric water generators through an income tax credit, a Department of Health rebate program, and building code standards. The Department of Health and Department of Taxation offered written comments; Taxation said it had seven proposed amendments to improve administration. Testimony was largely supportive, with advocates and local users describing water-supply benefits, emergency use during the Maui fires, and potential help for drought conditions and Red Hill concerns. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii suggested only the rebate program should move forward for clearer cost transparency, and the Department of Health said it needed more time to study the bill. Members questioned the fiscal impact and whether combining a tax credit and rebate was typical, but staff did not have cost estimates. Decision-making on SP 547 was deferred to February 12, 2025. The committee then took up SP 242 on foreign ownership of agricultural lands. The chair recommended passage with amendments, including deleting a reference to the Attorney General in one section and changing the effective date to July 1, 2050. Supporters argued the bill was a first step to limit foreign ownership of farmland, citing other states with similar restrictions, while several members said they supported the intent but had reservations about possible unintended harm to farmers and agriculture investment. After discussion, the measure passed with amendments on a 5-0 vote, with some members voting with reservations. The committee also discussed SP 1633, which would create a green building tax credit for structures using at least 30% Hawaii-grown hemp material. The chair said the bill was close but needed more work, and decision-making was deferred to February 12, 2025. Later, the committee heard several environmental measures: SB 683, which would ban intentionally added PFAS in certain products starting in 2028; SB 1109, which would replace the “finding of no significant impact” with a “finding of completion of environmental disclosure process”; SB 391, which would expand recycling requirements to certain lithium-ion batteries; and SB 12, which would classify neonic pesticides as restricted-use pesticides and limit certain seed treatments. Testimony on these bills included support from environmental and advocacy groups, comments from state agencies, and requests for amendments or further study, but no final votes were taken on those measures in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• They include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, and many other products that we use
• They include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, and many other products that we use
• Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, and many other products that
• 27.839> um Special local needs registration for an application of Advion WDG, which is an insecticide
• The other fact that jumped out at us was that Copos, which is a very toxic insecticide known to be connected

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint informational briefing focused on restricted use pesticides in Hawaiʻi, with Senate and House members opening the meeting and explaining that the session was intended to hear expert presentations and community concerns. Fern Holland outlined the background for the briefing, describing how restricted use pesticides differ from general-use products, why state-level regulation matters, and how community advocates have sought disclosure and protections for years. She summarized 2019 reporting data, saying a small number of users accounted for most reported use, with especially heavy application in North Central Oʻahu and on the west side of Kauaʻi. She highlighted concerns about applications near schools, homes, and coastlines, and identified 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium as among the heaviest-used fumigants. She also noted concerns about highly hazardous pesticides, some banned in other countries, and the lack of research on long-term combined exposure to multiple pesticides. Greg Takashima of the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture described the department’s pesticide program and regulatory authority under FIFRA and state law. He explained the distinction between general-use and restricted use pesticides, the certification requirements for applicators, and the department’s role in tracking RUPs from sale through use. He reviewed the branch’s functions in enforcement, education and certification, registration and technical review, and laboratory analysis, including inspections, complaint response, market surveillance, product registration, groundwater review, and outreach on drift reduction and integrated pest management. He also noted staffing and funding limitations, saying the branch lacks a toxicologist and long-term monitoring capacity, and compared Hawaiʻi’s resources to California’s much larger pesticide regulatory program. Takashima thanked the legislature for passing Act 231 the prior year and said the department supports the measure as it moves forward this session. Dr. Lee, speaking for the Hawaiʻi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and as a former member of the Kauaʻi Joint Fact-Finding Task Force, said pediatric guidance has shifted from focusing on acute poisoning to recognizing chronic low-level pesticide exposure as a concern. He cited AAP publications linking pesticide exposure to cancer, brain tumors, leukemia, birth outcomes, neurobehavioral effects, and asthma, and said pediatricians are now encouraged to advise families on reducing exposure and to support right-to-know measures and buffer zones around schools and public gathering places. He also described the Kauaʻi task force’s work, saying it found the west side of the island to be an unhealthy community but could not prove causation because of missing drift, geospatial, and biomarker data. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational, questions were held until after presentations, and the department expressed support for Act 231.