Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed 16 bills into law Friday. The governor must notify the Legislature by June 25 of what bills he might veto.
Here’s a look at the bills signed Friday:
» Senate Bill 2375: Authorizes agricultural-based commercial operations in agricultural districts, which will increase farmers’ ability to sell their products and promote food sustainability for the islands.
» SB 2646: Promotes diversified agriculture by exempting certain nonresidential agricultural buildings that are on commercial farms from county building permit requirements.
» SB 2228: Establishes an electronic tracking system for the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine.
» SB 2508: Amends filing deadlines for preliminary disclosure reports to the Campaign Spending Commission.
» SB 2632: Requires all fee time-share interests to be recorded in the regular Bureau of Conveyances system rather than in the land court.
» SB 2695: Appropriates $250,000 for a livestock feed feasibility project and another $250,000 to reimburse livestock producers for feed costs.
» SB 2797: Makes permanent previous changes to the psychotropic medication statute that ensures access to medically necessary psychotropic medications while allowing cost-effective strategies.
» House Bill 1524: Makes theft of agricultural commodities an offense of theft in the second degree and requires restitution to the victim.
» HB 1764: Allows for the waiver of residency requirements for state or county department heads and deputies or assistants to a department head, when the appointed officer is required to have highly specialized or scientific knowledge or training and a qualified applicant who meets the residency requirement is not available to fill the position.
» HB 1942: Appropriates $200,000 for the Electronic Importer Manifest Program to support agricultural inspectors in the prevention of invasive species.
» HB 1943: Appropriates $162,540 to reinstate the plant quarantine detector-dog program to help prevent the introduction of invasive species.
» HB 2244: Authorizes the state Department of Agriculture to establish compliance agreements with the federal government and other states regarding inspections for the import and export of plant commodities.
» HB 2296: Prohibits the purchase, sale, transportation and delivery of any item containing bear gallbladders or bile.
» HB 2429: Allows ex-officio members of the Board of Agriculture to designate a representative to attend board meetings.
» HB 2476: Makes appropriations for claims against the state or its officers or employees.
» HB 2848: Requires the Department of Public Safety to plan for a model wellness center that employs Native Hawaiian cultural practices on state land.
