STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3165

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1957

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1957, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SAFE ENTRYWAYS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish, for a county with a population greater than three hundred thousand, enforcement procedures to prevent people or personal property from blocking or otherwise impeding ingress or egress to private doorways and entranceways.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Retail Merchants of Hawaii and one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Aloha Independent Living Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that retail storefronts depend on safe, clear, and accessible entrances. Across many of the State's urban commercial districts, retailers and their employees regularly experience situations in which doorways, service entrances, and emergency exists are blocked by individuals or personal property. Obstructed doorways and other entrances can create significant safety concerns for customers, employees, delivery personnel, as well as vulnerable individuals, such as seniors, children, and those with disabilities. Additionally, obstructions can interfere with fire exits, putting public safety at risk. This measure provides a balanced approach by focusing on material obstructions, while also establishing essential safeguards. In doing so, the measure improves public safety and access to retail storefronts without jeopardizing due process.

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1957, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1957, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

________________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair