Are Hawaii’s Ag forms joining the modern age? A long-awaited transformation appears set to be forthcoming. Visitors to Hawaii have long been familiar with the kitsch paper agriculture forms distributed on the plane before landing.
There’s that awkward moment at 30K feet when you remember the pen or pencil you forgot to bring (do people still travel with pens?) and then try to scramble and borrow one from another passenger to complete it. During this time, have you ever thought that this seven-decade-long practice could instead be paperless?
This system has been in place since the 1950s.
Well, this entirely cumbersome tradition we’ve long-endured could finally become a relic of the past, just like the library card catalog. A significant legislative move is set to transform how these forms are handled, with a final vote looming this week that could finally bring at least this aspect of the state of Hawaii into the digital age.
Hawaii has been considering the agricultural declaration form upgrade for years. Efforts to modernize this process date back more than a decade, with various proposals and discussions occurring throughout the years, including legislative attempts and discussions.
That means that airport agriculture inspectors will no longer have to go through each form by hand before sending them to be scanned and processed. This routine was designed to protect Hawaii’s unique ecosystem from invasive species. However, the paper-based system has often been inefficient, prone to non-compliance, and environmentally wasteful.
There’s more happening behind the scenes besides Hawaii agriculture.
The other side of the form is a voluntary Hawaii visitor and returning resident survey. For editor Rob, this side has been a chance to revisit the lost art of the bubble sheet; and how to stay carefully inside the circle when darkening the bubble.
Hawaii Tourism Authority could lose data about visitors.
For HTA, the visitor form on the other side of the current physical Ag form has been a gold mine of research information. So much so that HTA covers the expensive cost of printing and processing the form rather than the Department of Agriculture.
New legislation and Its implications without paper.
The proposed Hawaii Senate Bill 633 aims to digitize the agriculture declaration forms, integrating them into the online check-in procedures for flights to Hawaii.
Senator Glenn Wakai, a long-time proponent of this initiative, highlighted the potential for significant cost savings and operational efficiencies. The bill suggests that digitizing these forms could save the state approximately $500,000 annually by reducing the costs associated with printing, collecting, and processing the current six million forms used yearly.
Under the new system, travelers will encounter the agriculture declaration form right after the section verifying the absence of contraband items in their luggage during online check-in. Those without access to digital options could use dedicated airport kiosks to complete their forms. This change ensures all travelers know Hawaii’s agricultural regulations before boarding their flights.
Furthermore, the real-time data obtained from digital submissions could enhance the responsiveness of biosecurity measures at Hawaiian ports of entry.
Previous attempts to digitize the Ag forms have fallen short.
This was often due to logistical and technological hurdles. However, the successful deployment of digital systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Safe Travels program, provides a hopeful precedent. This experience has shown that significant digital transformations are possible even in complex regulatory environments with adequate resources and planning
Stakeholder opinions on the bill vary.
Mufi Hannemann’s Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association has expressed strong support for the bill, citing the added convenience for visitors and the protection of Hawaii’s natural resources. At the same time, Mufi’s other organization, the HTA, stands to lose valuable Hawaii visitor data. We don’t know that there will be a way for that information to be collected with this new system. The Hawaii Farm Bureau emphasizes the critical need for robust biosecurity measures to safeguard local agriculture.
As the legislature prepares for a final vote, we’ll continue to keep you informed and engaged. For more detailed information on the bill and to track its progress, see the bill below.
Will you be sad to see the Hawaii paper Ag form and the visitor survey go?
Featured image credit Tony Webster/Flickr.
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This will be fine so long as it is convenient to fill out and doesn’t add to the time you need to arrive at the airport. For me, the best would be to fill it out while doing my online checkin at home.
Fill it out before getting onboard the flight? So what’s to prevent anyone from then purchasing and placing prohibited items in their baggage or carryon? This makes no sense whatsoever.
While it’s critically important to maintain robust biosecurity measures to protect native Hawaiian species against invasive pests, I sincerely doubt the current written declarations provide many safeguards. By the time the paper forms are collected, scanned and read, visitors are long gone.
HTA visitor data could be preserved by simply digitizing the existing form in its entirety. That’s not a particularly heavy burden.
I’ll have to use one of the kiosks if they pass it. I always bring an extras pen because someone Always needs one. Is that Aloha? 😀
Best Regards!
The single most amusing thing about this form and the ag rules is how strict the state is about bringing things *into* the state, but when I buy a plumeria sprig to take back to the mainland and infest my state of New Jersey with non-native plants, No One Cares!! :)))
That form is the same form I’ve been filling out for as long as I can remember. Been traveling to Hawaii 30 plus years sometimes twice or three times a year. I don’t have to worry about it anymore because Hawaii will not be my destination anymore. My last trip for one month in March made me sad with the politics against tourists. Since the political class want to get rid of tourists I volunteered. I won’t be returning.
Linda
Just another way for Hawaii to track your every move. Is your device information stored in HTA’s server? Data, photo’s, Apps and banking information? Ever wonder how cellphones identify your location when shopping at Amazon, Target, etc. Just a thought. Hit submit or go to the kiosk. I’ll choose the kiosk.
Hi Rob+Jeff. It was never a bother to me as I always carry a couple of pens one at all times that I am carrying a purse. I would rather do it on board than doing it on the kiosk. I had a hard time yesterday just trying to find out how to book a flight with miles. Talk about a horrible new website to deal with. Sometimes the old way is better!!! In my opinion anyway. Warm regards.
I always thought it was amusing that the flight crew did not have any pens/pencils for filling out the ag form. However, when the credit card applications came out, it seemed like writing instruments were readily available LOL>
Yesterday, 4/29, on our flight from San Diego! We were told, “Department of Agricultural did not supply us with pencils.” Retired teacher here…I always travel with no less than 4 pens in my possession.
Now that we are nearly 1/4 of the way through the 21st century, Hawaii government has decided to catch up with the 20th century. True story: during Covid there was a proposal put forward to construct an entire building at Hilo airport to “process Covid paperwork.” Unbelievable.
“…the successful deployment of digital systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Safe Travels program, provides a hopeful precedent.”
I thought the authors of these columns were experienced travelers to Hawaii. I had the misfortune during the pandemic of having to come home to Hawaii over a dozen times and the Safe Travels program never worked once worked correctly. Recall the long lines of travelers at every Hawaii airport who needed on-site assistance with this form because the program didn’t function prior to their arriving in Hawaii.
So let’s apply this technology to the ag forms. Make travellers complete the form at their departure airport as a precondition to entering Hawaii and see how that goes!
It’s about time! That ridiculous piece of paper is definitely environmentally wasteful and no, I won’t miss it. What I do miss are insspections at arrival …I never understood why we have to undergo the agricultural inspection when departing Hawaii …I asked every time and the answer from the inpectors was to “protect the mainland from fruit flies” ..oh, so we need to protect the mainland from the bad stuff we have in Hawaii and not the other way around? That piece of papervthat peoples had to fillout towards the end of a long flight was insult to injury. How many people actually said yes to any of the questions including bringing snakes and livestock?
Aloha,
Snakes and livestock can be found in abundance at the state capital complex.
Mahalo
Paper or not, it’s invasive and very annoying!
Sounds like just another follow the money scheme taking place because some organization is going to get the contract to run the system required to monitor this and there will no doubt be somebody within the Hawaii state government or one of how many departments that we don’t know about that will indeed have their own hands out as to who gets that agreement.
As to protecting the state, just get a lot of agriculture dogs onboard and have them working constantly around the baggage claim areas because they are very good at their job as I have personally witnessed in the past back when shuttle buses ran car renters over to the rental locations.
I usually just write across the form “I don’t have anything that I am not supposed to have and the rest is none of your business.”
Digital works great until it doesn’t. It seems like it won’t make much difference since I’m sure it will cost $$$ to implement and operate the system.
Why was legislation even necessary for this process improvement to be implemented? Just as in the private sector, shouldn’t the relevant entity be able to do what is needful without bureaucratic involvement? And why would data helpful to the HTA no longer be part of the electronic form? Keep the e-form the same as the paper form and funnel the data output to whoever needs it. Lived here for so long but I still don’t understand why simple things seem so difficult (and so time-consuming).
No surprise here, folks. Typical for Hawaii govt. Years behind the rest of the U.S..
I think the real question is how much paper can you get out of a palm tree? Maybe the reality is with tourists complaints about skyrocket prices no tourists equals no survey’s no paper either. Does this mean every person or child needs their own cellphone or tablet to take a survey before landing? Wow how convenient. Just another negative inconvenience to steer the tourist in going to another destination. By the way Does Hawaii still have the most (number 1) cars per capita like was explained to me 14 years ago in the whole USA. No wonder it can take 3 hours to travel 7 miles from HNL to Waikikki!!!! Any thoughts on this? Need a Monorail built?
I assumed they would already be saving money by not needing to print as many forms since the Hawaii government has done everything they can to dissuade visitors from visiting.
I’ll only miss the form in a nostalgic way – just one of those quintessential Hawaii things!
Heck No !! About time. My thoughts people probably are not answering the questions truthfully anyway because they have no idea what Hawaii is doing with the info me included!!
First, the forms are utterly worthless. If you’re smuggling, are you going to declare it?
Second, these “AG declaration” forms have Long been a thinly-veiled attempt at invasive Hawaii visitor data harvesting that no other state could get away with. What does “agriculture” have to do with whether you are on a “honeymoon,” your “gender,” your race/nationality, or whether you are staying in a hotel, condo, or hostel?
There has never been a requirement to complete the tourism survey on the back of the Ag form. Purely voluntary.
Not sure if I am alone here but most of the time the flight attendants (I almost always fly Hawaiian Airlines) never collect the form from me. It just sits in the seat pocket or I end up throwing it away. Clearly this is not enforced.
Exactly, Mark! I’ve simply stopped filling them out. No one checks to see if any particular passenger fills them out. I figure, if the state doesn’t really care, why should I?
Simple answer to your simple question – No!