Back in March, we flagged several hospitality-related bills moving through Hawaiʻi’s frantic 60-day legislative sprint. The sprint is over. Here’s what survived, what didn’t, and what it means.
A reminder that Governor Green still has until July to sign, veto, or simply let bills become law without his signature.
- Dedicated Tourism Marketing Funding (HB 1950): Dead.
- The effort to create stable, dedicated tourism marketing funding didn’t survive conference season.
- Translation: Hawaiʻi tourism marketing remains tied to annual budget fights and political priorities.
- State Budget / HTA Funding (HB 1800): Mostly survived.
- While dedicated funding failed, lawmakers largely preserved HTA and DBEDT tourism allocations through the budget process.
- The 67.75 million includes marketing, destination stewardship, workforce programs, and Waikīkī beach funding.
- The true marketing budget is $39.6 million, well below many of our competitor destinations.
- $25 Comp Room Fee (SB 241): Dead.
- Hotels dodged this one. The proposal would have added a fee on complimentary rooms 🤷♂️.
- Vacation Rental Enforcement (HB 1590): Dead.
- Good intentions, poorly written, and ultimately died after industry groups warned the amended language could unintentionally shield illegal vacation rentals, potentially creating more harm than good.
- HTA / Destination Management Restructure (ultimately SB 1571): Passed.
- HTA survives, but weaker. The board becomes largely advisory, while more authority shifts toward the Governor and DBEDT. Depending on who you ask, this is either long-overdue accountability or the slow dismantling of Hawaiʻi’s independent tourism agency.
- On that note, the Senate confirmed all 11 members of HTA’s newly restructured advisory board in April. Two come directly from the hotel industry: Kim Agas of Aulani and Danny Ojiri of Outrigger. The board retains one meaningful responsibility worth watching: recommending candidates for the HTA CEO position. Which brings us to the uncomfortable reminder that it has now been nearly three years since John De Fries stepped down. Three years!
- Michelin Guide Support (SB 2072): Dead.
- Still one of the stranger debates of the session. Nothing inspires confidence quite like hearing testimony supporting a bill from people who didn’t seem to fully understand how the business model works.
