STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2912

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2031

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2031, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent 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 Office of Consumer Protection of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Ticket Policy Forum; StubHub; and Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher, a Law Corporation.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from Hawaii Financial Services Association.

Your Committee finds that online comparison shopping in the live-event ticketing and short-term lodging industries in the State is often impeded by bait-and-switch pricing and misleading fees and charges. In December 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final trade regulation rule to combat hidden fees and misrepresentations about pricing in the live-event ticketing and short-term lodging industries. Adding a similar prohibition under the Hawaii Revised Statutes would reinforce the FTC rule by ensuring that state officials are able to bring civil actions in state courts for violations. Accordingly, this measure would support federal efforts to end unfair and deceptive practices and enhance transparency for consumers by reducing confusion and enabling them to more easily compare prices and products.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2031, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2031, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair