House committee passes bills advancing responsible, sustainable tourism in Hawai‘i

The House Committee on Tourism has passed several key measures ahead of the First Decking deadline on Friday, advancing policies focused on responsible tourism, climate resilience, public safety, and economic diversification.

“These bills reflect our commitment to balancing a strong visitor industry with the needs of our residents,” said House Committee on Tourism Chair Adrian K. Tam, who represents Waikīkī. “Tourism must work for Hawaiʻi by building safer communities, strengthening sustainability and climate resilience, and reinvesting in our local economy so it benefits our residents.”

Among those bills is HB1949 HD1, relating to the Green Fee, which establishes the Green Fee Transparency and Accountability Program and Green Fee Resiliency Impact Dashboard, to be administered by the Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission. Appropriates funds.

See the list below of masures that have passed out of their final committee and are expected to be heard on the House Floor for adoption:

HB1590 HD2 – Relating to Vacation Rentals

The bill would strengthen enforcement against illegal short-term vacation rentals and protect long-term housing supply and residential communities. The measure allows:

• Counties to use time-stamped screenshots as evidence for enforcement

• Requires the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s destination management efforts to promote use of traditional or lawful transient accommodations

• Requires hosting platforms to register with the Department of Taxation as tax collection agents and report, collect and remit general excise and transient accommodations taxes on behalf of operators.

HB1960 HD1 – Relating to Human Trafficking

The bill requires the Department of the Attorney General to develop a human trafficking awareness training program in the transient accommodations sector. It also requires transient accommodations employers and contractors to:

• Provide training for their employees

• Maintain training records

• Post signage

• Implement reporting and prevention policies, including policies to report suspected trafficking

HB2268 HD1 – Relating to Film Production

The bill adds the marketing and promotion of film productions filmed in the State as a power of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. Additionally, the following measure passed out of the House Committee on Tourism and awaits scheduling in the House Committee on Finance.

HB2602 HD2 – Relating to a Sustainable Tourism Infrastructure

Establishes the sustainable tourism infrastructure matching grant program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to support one-time capital investments that advance measurable sustainability and climate resilience outcomes within the State’s visitor industry.