STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 2263-26
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2026
RE: S.C.R. No. 159
S.D. 1
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 Water & Land, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 159, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS TO ADOPT SHARED GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE PLANNING, FINANCING, AND UNDERTAKING OF EFFORTS FOR THE RESTORATION, IMPROVEMENT, AND MAINTENANCE OF THE BEACHES, SHORELINE, AND COASTAL AREAS OF WAIKIKI,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to urge public and private stakeholders to adopt shared guiding principles for the planning, financing, and undertaking of efforts for the restoration, improvement, and maintenance of the beaches, shoreline, and coastal areas of Waikiki.
Your Committee finds that the public benefits of increased public access to open spaces and the ocean, and the private benefits to commercial interests that are located within and dependent upon Waikiki, are inextricably linked. Your Committee further finds that decades of coordinated efforts by the State, the City and County of Honolulu, and private interests have fallen short of producing a sustainable and equitable long-term strategy to preserve Waikiki beaches, infrastructure, and commerce, despite various legacy contractual agreements and more recent judicial intervention. Your Committee supports the adoption of shared guiding principles to inform a comprehensive, equitable, and sustainable approach to restoring and maintaining Waikiki's beaches and shoreline.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Inserting provisions stating that decades of coordinated efforts by the State, the City and County of Honolulu, and private interests have fallen short of producing a sustainable and equitable long-term strategy for preserving Waikiki beaches, infrastructure, and commerce, despite various legacy contractual agreements and more recent judicial intervention;
(2) Amending the requested strategies of the shared guiding principles to:
(A) Include collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, including private interests and the community, and consultation with coastal science experts;
(B) Confirm the responsibility of federal, state, county, and private property owners to maintain seawalls and other infrastructure are pursuant to jurisdictional authority and in accordance with controlling law; and
(C) Delete consultation and collaboration with Waikiki Beach hotels, landowners, University of Hawaii Sea Grant experts, and other relevant stakeholders; 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 Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 159, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 159, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,
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____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM, Chair |
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