Bill > SB634

This bill establishes a $10 per passenger fee for cruise ships carrying 21 or more passengers, beginning January 1, 2026, with the fee increasing annually based on the Hawaii consumer price index. The fee will be collected by the Department of Transportation and deposited into a new Cruise Ship Passenger Fee Special Fund, which will be used exclusively for infrastructure projects benefiting cruise ships, with a specific emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The bill requires ship owners or agents to submit passenger manifests upon entry into Hawaii's ports and pay the fees within 60 days, with a 10% annual interest rate for late payments. Ships with 20 or fewer passengers, noncommercial ships, nonprofit vessels, and government-operated ships are exempt from the fee. The legislation is modeled after similar marine passenger fees implemented in Alaskan cities, which have been legally upheld. The bill mandates that passenger manifest details remain confidential, with only certain public information to be disclosed, and includes provisions to prevent delinquent ships from mooring at state ports. The fee aims to offset the impacts of the cruise ship industry and enhance tourism infrastructure, noting that Hawaii received approximately 150,000 cruise ship visitors in 2024.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=634&year=2026