The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment on Jan. 27, 2025.
_____________
Jan. 27, 2025, 1 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 224 and Videoconference
To: Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment
Sen. Mike Gabbard, Chair
Sen. Herbert “Tim” Richards, III, Vice-Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: SB765 — RELATING TO BEEKEEPING
Aloha Chair Gabbard, Vice-Chair Richards and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports the liability limitations contained in SB765, which would provide that Hawaii beekeepers who adhere to industry best practices are not liable for injuries caused by their apiaries, except for cases of gross negligence or wanton acts or omissions.
Beekeeping holds great promise for Hawaii’s agriculture industry. In Hawai‘i County alone, beekeeping is a $20 million-a-year industry,[1] and Big Island breeders already supply 30% to 35% of all queen bees on the mainland and 75% in Canada,[2] literally helping feed the world.
The legal protections proposed in SB765 would be one step toward making Hawaii a friendlier place for small-scale agriculture and beekeeping in particular, helping hobbyist and commercial beekeepers alike.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
____________
[1] June 20, 2024 meeting of the Leeward Planning Commission. See the 5:29:20 mark.
[2] Ibid.
