STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3584

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.C.R. No. 173

        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 Water, Land, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 173 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF JUG LINE FISHING AND TO ADOPT RULES PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 91, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, NECESSARY TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS RAISED BY THE ASSESSMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage the State to urge the Department of Land and Natural Resources to:

 

     (1)  Assess the impact of jug line fishing; and

 

     (2)  Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to address any concerns raised by the assessment.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

 

     Prior to the hearing on this measure, your Committee posted and made available for public review a proposed S.D. 1, which deletes the contents of the measure and inserts language to convene a task force to address event ticket scalping in the State.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; National Independent Venue Association; and Rick Bartalini Presents.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Consumer Protection of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Ticket Policy Forum, SeatGeek, and StubHub.

 

     Your Committee finds that residents and visitors alike enjoy live entertainment, cultural performances, and sporting events, which foster shared experiences and contribute to the local economy.  In recent years, ticket resellers have deliberately purchased large quantities of event tickets within seconds of their release and sold them for as much as twenty times the original ticket price, a practice commonly referred to as ticket scalping, forcing would-be attendees to pay exorbitant prices or forgo attending the event altogether.  The State is even more vulnerable to the impacts of ticket scalping due to its geographic isolation and limited number of entertainment venues as local purchasers do not have alternative venues at which to view an event within a reasonable travel distance.  Additionally, revenues generated through ticket scalping in the State typically accrue to mainland-based resellers, like StubHub, SeatGeek, or Vivid Seats.  This measure aims to benefit local residents by facilitating cheaper and more equitable access to events and reclaiming revenues generated by ticket sales for use by the local economy. 

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the proposed S.D. 1 and further amending the measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the task force convened by the measure is requested to:

 

          (A)  Examine and recommend solutions to minimize and prevent the impacts of ticket resale and scalping practices that drive up event ticket costs and limit event ticket accessibility for local residents;

 

          (B)  Engage Hawaii stakeholders, including local families, artists, venues, and the general public, and submit an initial report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, to identify and analyze the impact of ticket scalping in Hawaii;

 

          (C)  Engage with government regulators and stakeholders, such as consumer protection agencies in Hawaii and other states and jurisdictions, and submit a subsequent report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, on policy options and successes to address the impacts of ticket scalping and resale on local families, artists, venues, and the general public; and

 

          (D)  Engage with industry ticket resellers and entities profiting from ticket resale or scalping, and submit a final report to the Legislature, including any findings and recommendations, for the best options to minimize and prevent the impacts of ticket resale and scalping practices that drive up event ticket costs and limit event ticket accessibility for local residents;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the membership of the task force convened by the measure is requested to include:

 

          (A)  Hawaii producers and promoters of events, or their representatives;

 

          (B)  Hawaii artists and performers, or their representatives;

 

          (C)  Hawaii event venues, or their representatives;

 

          (D)  Hawaii patrons of events, or their representatives; and

 

          (E)  Other relevant stakeholders as may be invited by the Chairs of the task force; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 173, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 173, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts,

 

 

 

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair