The 2026 Hawaiʻi Legislative Session is underway, and invasive species prevention and response remain critical priorities for protecting Hawaiʻi’s environment, agriculture, economy, and communities.
With a record number of invasive species bills being processed this session, it can be difficult to follow all proposed measures. HISC provides a centralized place to track invasive species-related legislation. The HISC 2026 bill-tracking page includes a comprehensive, regularly updated list of relevant bills, along with summaries and current status.
This list is not exhaustive and does not indicate support or opposition to any single measure. For a complete and up-to-date list of all invasive species–related bills introduced in 2026, please visit the full tracker: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/2026-legislative-session/
The page will be updated regularly as bills move through the legislative process.
Selected Bills Being Tracked
The following examples highlight the range of invasive species-related measures being tracked during the 2026 Legislative Session.
HB 1931 – State Noxious Weed Coordinator
Establishes a State Noxious Weed Coordinator and updates the process for designating and managing noxious weeds statewide. The bill allows for public proposals to add or remove noxious weed designations, requires notice and public reporting, and clarifies the authority of the Department and Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. It authorizes updates to the State Noxious Weed List by order, classifies noxious weeds into categories, strengthens enforcement and penalties, and updates departmental duties related to noxious weed control and eradication.
Hawaiʻi’s state noxious weed list in rule is anchored to a 1992 adoption date and has not been comprehensively updated since, resulting in a list that includes species now widespread and plant names that no longer reflect current taxonomy. The bill proposes a State Noxious Weed Coordinator and updated review processes to support an ongoing approach to maintaining the list, consistent with practices used elsewhere.
HB 1832 – Aquatic Biosecurity Risk-Based Framework
Requires the establishment of a biological aquatic risk-based framework for the assessment and approval of aquatic livestock importation and movement. The bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s Division of Animal Industry to adopt rules for species risk categorization, tiered biocontainment standards, per-arrival disease testing, and interagency coordination procedures. It establishes an interagency working group, sets implementation timelines and performance accountability measures, and appropriates funding.
This applies to how live fish and other aquatic animals are brought into Hawaiʻi or moved between facilities for aquaculture, and is part of an ongoing policy effort to standardize risk-based biosecurity review.
SB 2760 – Inspection and Quarantine of Infested or High-Risk Items
Clarifies that importing items or materials that are infested or infected with insects, animals, diseases, or other pests is prohibited. The bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to designate certain high-risk articles that require compliance agreements prior to importation, inspect items entering Hawaiʻi or moving between islands, and quarantine certain non-agricultural materials. It also clarifies enforcement authority and penalties, allows interim rules to remain in effect for a limited period, and appropriates funding for staff support to develop and update administrative rules.
This applies to how goods and materials entering Hawaiʻi, or moving between islands, may be inspected or quarantined to reduce biosecurity risk, including items beyond those traditionally inspected, such as live plants and agricultural produce.