STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2974

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2401

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGIONAL SHORELINE MITIGATION DISTRICTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a framework for short-term and long-term shoreline planning to address impacts of accelerating shoreline erosion and other coastal changes.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to serve in a planning and coordinating role to develop shoreline adaptation pathways plans for designated regional shoreline adaptation districts;

(2) Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to work collaboratively with various stakeholders to develop each shoreline adaptation pathways plan;

(3) Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to consider a shoreline adaptation pathways plan as part of an application for a conservation district use permit within a designated regional shoreline mitigation district; and

(4) Appropriates moneys to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development for the identification and establishment of regional shoreline mitigation districts and other efforts required by the measure.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii REALTORS, Shoreline Preservation Coalition, Hawaii Hotel Alliance ADF Furtado Properties LLC, Kahana Bay Steering Committee, Valley Isle Resort, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Department of the Attorney General; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure will help to establish the regional shoreline management necessary to protect public resources while reducing the short- and long-term risks caused by coastal hazards to shoreline properties and infrastructure.

Your Committee acknowledges that written comments provided by the Department of the Attorney General expressed concerns that, as drafted, this measure may presents a title issue. The Attorney General's comments noted that terminology used in the measure is inconsistent and differs from the term "regional shoreline mitigation districts," as used in the measure's title.

Should a Committee in the House of Representatives hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider amending the terms "regional shoreline adaptation districts," "shoreline adaptation pathways plans," and other terminology throughout the measure to ensure that the title clearly expresses the subject and to resolve any inconsistencies between the use of the terms "shoreline adaptation" and "shoreline mitigation."

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair