§26-16 Department of agriculture and biosecurity. (a) The department of agriculture and biosecurity shall be headed by an executive board to be known as the board of agriculture and biosecurity. The board shall consist of ten members:
The majority of the members of the board described in paragraphs (1) through (4) shall be from the agricultural community or agricultural support sector, with at least one member having a background in biosecurity. The appointment, tenure, and removal of the members and the filling of vacancies on the board shall be as provided in section 26-34. The governor shall appoint a chairperson of the board from the members.
(b) The board may delegate to the chairperson such duties, powers, and authority, or so much thereof, as may be lawful or proper for the performance of the functions vested in the board.
The chairperson of the board shall serve in a full-time capacity. The chairperson shall, in that capacity:
(c) The department shall:
(d) The functions and authority heretofore exercised by the board of commissioners of agriculture and forestry (except the management of state parks and the conservation, development, and utilization of forest resources, including regulatory powers over the forest reserve provided in Act 234, section 2, Session Laws of Hawaii 1957, and of fish and game resources transferred to the department of land and natural resources), by the farm loan board as heretofore constituted, and by the University of Hawaii with respect to the crop and livestock reporting service and market news service, are transferred to the department of agriculture and biosecurity established by this chapter. [L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §22; am L 1961, c 132, §1(f); am L 1963, c 206, §1; am L 1965, c 214, §1 and c 223, §8(c); Supp, §14A-21; am L 1967, c 145, §2; HRS §26-16; am L 1969, c 4, §1; am L 1973, c 15, §1; am L 1982, c 147, §1; am L 1983, c 12, §1 and c 141, §1; am L 1991, c 135, §1; am L 1995, c 69, §1; am L 1996, c 166, §2; am L 1998, c 176, §4; am L 2012, c 123, §2; am L 2022, c 134, §3; am L 2025, c 236, §§2, 17]