HawaiiDog owners owe double damages for covered agricultural land attacks
Dog owners or people responsible for dogs owe double the value of others' property damaged on agricultural land entered without permission, while livestock owners may kill dogs during covered attacks.
What it does
Dog owners or people responsible for dogs owe twice the value of others' property their dogs damage on agricultural land entered without the landholder's consent.
Livestock owners, their agents, or their family members may kill dogs attacking or persistently harassing livestock on agricultural land the dog's owner does not own or possess. Courts may also order humane euthanasia.
Dog owners must confine or destroy dogs after covered damage. Owners who fail to comply and whose dogs cause further damage face a criminal offense and at least a $1,000 fine.
A person with four final court judgments under the dog-damage law qualifies as a repeat agricultural offender. Each judgment must concern a separate incident on a separate date.
Argument forPayment of twice the damaged property's value could help farmers cover losses and encourage people responsible for dogs to control their animals.
Argument againstPermission to kill dogs persistently harassing livestock on covered agricultural land could lead to irreversible decisions before a court reviews what happened.
More detail
Dog owners or people responsible for dogs must pay twice the value of property their dogs injure or destroy in covered incidents. This rule covers land officially classified as agricultural. Livestock means animals raised for farm production or value. The dog must enter without consent from the land's owner or the person possessing it. The damaged livestock or other property must belong to someone other than the dog's owner or the person responsible for it. The law took effect upon approval on June 8, 2026. It preserves rights, duties, penalties, and proceedings already established before that date.
Livestock owners, their agents, or their family members may kill a dog caught injuring, killing, or persistently pursuing or harassing livestock. The immediate-response rule applies on agricultural land that the dog's owner does not own or possess. No civil lawsuit or criminal case may be brought for killing a dog as allowed by this immediate-response rule. Any authorized killing must use reasonable means and must not be intended to cause undue suffering. If a dog covered by the damage rule remains alive, a person suffering livestock losses may ask the local district court to order humane euthanasia. This includes livestock destroyed because the dog injured or pursued them. These rules took effect upon approval on June 8, 2026.
After a covered damaging incident, the dog's owner must confine or destroy the dog. The first incident must involve damage to another person's property on agricultural land entered without the landholder's consent. If the owner fails or refuses to comply and the dog causes further damage to another person's livestock or property, the owner commits a misdemeanor, a criminal offense. The owner must pay for the damage, a fine of at least $1,000, and trial costs. The livestock owner, their agent, or their family member may then lawfully kill the dog using reasonable means without intending undue suffering. These rules took effect upon approval on June 8, 2026. The criminal penalty requires further damage after the owner's failure or refusal to act.
Four or more final court judgments holding a person responsible under the dog-damage law qualify that person as a repeat agricultural offender. This route applies to judgments under section 142-74. The law calls this status a 'habitual agricultural crime perpetrator.' Each judgment must concern a separate incident on a separate date. Prosecutors do not need to prove a person's state of mind about this status; the required judgments establish that element. This definition took effect upon approval on June 8, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 9Act 114, 06/08/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1214).Latest
- Jun 9Act 114, on 06/08/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1214).Became Law
- May 8Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 888).Minor
- May 7Transmitted to Governor.
- May 6Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.Major
- Vote recorded Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1. Result: pass.Lower
- May 6Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).Major
- May 6Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 816).Minor
- Apr 29Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 49-26) as amended in (CD 1).
- Apr 29Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 05-06-26.
- Apr 29Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 49-26).
- Apr 2948 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26
- Apr 28The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Rhoads, DeCoite, Richards; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.Minor
- Vote recorded The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 28The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Tarnas, Kusch, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.Minor
- Apr 24Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-28-26 9:30AM; Conference Room 325.
- Apr 23Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-24-26 11:00AM; Conference Room 325.
- Apr 21House Conferees Appointed: Chun, Tarnas Co-Chairs; Kusch, Matsumoto.
- Apr 21Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 799).Minor
- Apr 20Senate Conferees Appointed: Gabbard Chair; Rhoads Co-Chair; DeCoite, Richards.
- Apr 20Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 713).Minor
- Apr 17Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 780).Minor
- Apr 16House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).Minor
- Apr 14Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 14Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 663) in amended form (SD 2).
- Apr 10Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3795) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
- Apr 1048 Hrs. Notice 04-14-26.
- Apr 7The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Awa.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 1The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 04-07-26 10:15AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
- Mar 30Reported from AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3222) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.
- Mar 30Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC.Minor
- Mar 23The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 20The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-23-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
- Mar 12Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 368).Minor
- Mar 12Passed First Reading.Minor
- Mar 12Referred to AEN, JDC.Minor
- Mar 10Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.Passed House
- Vote recorded Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1181-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
- Mar 6Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
- Feb 24The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Garcia.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 20Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 02-24-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- Feb 17Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 331-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
- Vote recorded Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lee, M., Poepoe excused (3).Minor
- Feb 11The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Perruso, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Lowen, Quinlan.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 6Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 02-11-26 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- Jan 30Referred to AGR, JHA, referral sheet 5Minor
- Jan 28Introduced and Pass First Reading.Minor
- Jan 26Pending introduction.Introduced
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