Bill > HB447

This bill modifies Hawaii's tourism emergency provisions and transient accommodations tax allocation rules. Specifically, it expands the circumstances under which the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) Board of Directors can request the Governor to declare a tourism emergency by removing specific limitations like "world conflict" and "national or global economic crisis" while broadening the language to include terrorist threats, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and other catastrophic events that could adversely affect Hawaii's tourism industry. The bill also reduces the required minimum balance in the Tourism Emergency Special Fund from $5 million to $3 million, which will be maintained through allocations from transient accommodations tax revenues. Additionally, the bill removes a previous restriction that required the Governor's express approval for actions related to economic crisis emergencies. These changes aim to provide the HTA with more flexibility in responding to tourism-related emergencies and managing its financial resources. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, giving state agencies time to prepare for the new provisions.

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https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=447&year=2026