STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1548-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 83

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 83, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOTELS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require hotelkeepers to provide adequate notice of service disruptions to third-party vendors and guests under certain conditions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from International Longshore & Warehouse Union. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Maui Hotel and Lodging Association; Hawaii Hotel Alliance; American Hotel & Lodging Association; Kohala Coast Resort Association; and Maui Chamber of Commerce. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and UNITE HERE Local 5.

Your Committee finds that travelers staying in hotels are often vulnerable to service disruptions that they may not be aware of at the time of booking. To protect travelers and maintain the vitality of the tourism sector, your Committee believes that it is essential for hotels to notify guests of potential disruptions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Allowing a guest to terminate a hotel reservation, booking, or agreement without penalty following the onset of a service disruption and prohibiting the retention of deposits for unused portions of the reservation, booking, or agreement;

(2) Imposing treble damages for violations;

(3) Making any waiver or attempted waiver of a guest's right to receive a notice of service disruption void and unenforceable as against public policy;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) 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. 83, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 83, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair