STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1967-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2031

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2031, S.D. 2, 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-event tickets or short-term lodging without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price more prominently than other pricing information, except the final amount of payment; 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; Ticket Policy Forum; Hawaiʻi Hotel Alliance; American Hotel & Lodging Association; and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Financial Services Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from StubHub.

Your Committee finds that in December 2024, the Federal Trade Commission issued a final trade regulation rule to combat hidden fees and misrepresentations about pricing in the live-event ticketing and short-term lodging industries. The federal Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, 2025, and applies nationwide. While state attorneys general are authorized to enforce this rule, this measure ensures that state law remedies are also available in a civil action for violations. The uniform pricing standard in this measure also promotes transparency, consistency, and fairness in ticket sales and provides certainty for consumers and businesses in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that any advertisement, display, or offer of short-term lodging or live-event tickets that complies with the federal Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees are deemed to be in compliance with this measure;

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

(3) 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2031, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2031, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair