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SB 1159

TRANSPORTATION-TECH

104th Regular Session Introduced by John Curran

SB 1159 Hawaii would ban octopus aquaculture for human consumption (including land-based systems); wild captures and octopus used for research would be exempt.

Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
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Bill Summary · SB 1159

Bill Summary — SB 1159 (as submitted Feb 7, 2025)

Note up front: the provided document appears to contain multiple, different draft texts and materials from different states (Hawaii, Arizona, Illinois) that were merged together. Below I focus on the primary, consistent text that aligns with the listed Hawaii sponsors (Gabbard, McKelvey, Keohokalole, Rhoads, Wakai, San Buenaventura) — a bill that would prohibit octopus aquaculture in Hawaii. I also summarize the other unrelated materials that appear in the file so readers are aware of conflicting content and should verify the official version with the legislature.

Overview / Purpose

Primary text: This bill would prohibit octopus aquaculture (the propagation, cultivation, maintenance, and harvesting of octopus) in the State for the purpose of human consumption. The stated legislative findings cite environmental disease risks from farmed octopuses and welfare/ethical concerns due to octopus cognition and aquaculture conditions. The purpose is to prevent ecological harm and protect animal welfare by banning non–wild-caught octopus farming.

Key provisions (Hawaii octopus aquaculture ban)

  • New statute added to Chapter 141, Hawaii Revised Statutes (part IV):
    • Prohibits any person from engaging in aquaculture activities in the State that involve propagation, cultivation, maintenance, or harvesting of any species of octopus for human consumption.
  • Definitions:
    • “Aquaculture activities” explicitly includes land‑based recirculating aquaculture systems.
    • “Octopus” excludes:
    • Wild‑caught octopuses, and
    • Octopuses propagated, cultivated, maintained, or harvested solely for research purposes.
  • Effective date: The Act takes effect upon approval.
  • Savings clause: Does not affect rights/duties matured or proceedings begun before the effective date.

Who would be affected

  • Prohibited:
    • Commercial and private operators planning to farm any octopus species in Hawaii for sale to consumers.
    • Businesses developing land‑based recirculating systems for octopus production.
  • Not affected:
    • Fisheries and commercial enterprises that catch octopus in the wild (wild‑caught octopus remains legal).
    • Research institutions that culture octopus expressly for research purposes (subject to the statute’s research carve‑out).

Potential impacts / considerations

  • Environmental: Aims to reduce risk of pathogen transmission from farmed octopus to wild marine species and ecosystems.
  • Economic: Would preclude development of an octopus aquaculture industry (potentially avoiding new commercial activity and jobs, but preserving wild‑capture markets).
  • Animal welfare/ethical: Responds to concerns about keeping highly cognitive animals in confined aquaculture conditions.
  • Implementation/funding: No appropriation or regulatory implementation language included in the provided text; agencies would rely on existing enforcement mechanisms unless further specified.

Procedural status & sponsors (from provided materials)

  • Introduced: February 7, 2025
  • Sponsors (listed): GABBARD (primary), MCKELVEY (primary), Keohokalole (cosponsor), RHOADS (primary), Wakai (cosponsor), San Buenaventura (cosponsor)
  • Status (as listed): Rule 3‑9(a) / Re‑referred to Assignments. Several committee hearings and calendar actions are recorded in the document; verify latest status with the official legislative website.

Other, unrelated materials contained in the file (verify official bill text)

  • Arizona SB 1159 (different bill number reuse) — amends ARS §23‑356 to raise the department wage‑claim cap from $5,000 to $12,000. (This is an entirely different subject and state.)
  • Illinois SB1159 (different jurisdiction) — a trivial technical amendment to the Roadside Memorial Act (fixing a duplicated word in the short title).

Recommendation

Because the submitted file is a compilation of multiple, inconsistent drafts from different jurisdictions, anyone relying on this summary should confirm the official bill text and current status via the Hawaii State Legislature (or the relevant state site if researching the other texts).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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