STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2036

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1035

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1035, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make it an unfair or deceptive act or practice for businesses to:

(1) Offer, display, or advertise the price of live-ticket events or short-term lodging without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price; and

(2) Misrepresent any fees or charges in any offer, display, or advertisement for the sale of live-event tickets or short-term lodging.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Hotel Alliance and American Hotel & Lodging Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Financial Services Association.

Your Committee finds that the ability for a consumer to identify the true price of a good or service is a necessity for a properly functioning economy. Your Committee further finds that consumers have expressed frustration with the use of hidden resort fees and other mandatory charges by hotels and misleading ticket prices for live events. This measure seeks to deter certain deceptive business practices relating to live-ticket sales and short-term lodging by mandating certain price and fee disclosures.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1035, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1035, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair