Federal agencies commit to fighting Hawaii's native forest disease
H.R. 375 — Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2025 · Filed by Jill Tokuda (D-HI) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jan 13, 2025 · Passed chamber
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What it does
This bill directs the federal government—specifically the Interior and Agriculture departments—to work together with Hawaii to combat Rapid Ohia Death, a fungal disease killing native Hawaiian ohia trees. It requires ongoing research on how the disease spreads, management of wild ungulates (feral pigs and goats) that may transmit it, and provides funding for forest restoration and research through the Forest Service's Pacific Islands institute.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward federal commitment to research, coordination, and resource allocation aimed at combating a specific fungal disease threatening Hawaii's native forest ecosystem. It is a conservation and public-health measure with no private carve-outs or hidden mechanisms.
What the text implies
- The bill's success depends on sustained appropriations; if funding lapses, research and restoration efforts may stall despite the mandate to 'continue' efforts.
- Ungulate management on private land requires landowner consent, which may limit the scope of disease-control efforts if cooperation is uneven across the state.
- The bill does not specify measurable outcomes or timelines, leaving implementation details and accountability metrics to agency discretion.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Hawaii residents and the broader public benefit from protection of native ecosystems and biodiversity. The bill commits federal research and restoration resources to address a documented ecological crisis without imposing costs on citizens—it is a public investment in environmental stewardship and forest health.
Named in the bill
Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, State of Hawaii, United States Geological Survey (USGS), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Forest Service, Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Ceratocystis fimbriata (fungal pathogen), Metrosideros polymorpha (ohia tree)
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.
- Jan 13, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 13, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Agriculture and House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period…”
- Jan 21, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill”
- Jan 23, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,744 characters) on Aug 20, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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