STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1291

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 348

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Economic Development and Tourism and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 348, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SINGLE-USE PLASTICS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit lodging establishments from providing personal care products in small plastic containers within sleeping room accommodations, any space within sleeping room accommodations, or bathrooms used by the public or guests.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Surfrider Foundation Hawaiʻi Region, Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition, Climate Protectors Hawaii, Kauai Climate Action Coalition, American Hotel and Lodging Association, Hawaiʻi Hotel Alliance, Windward Coalition, and twelve individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committees find that the plastic industry is on track to overtake coal as a primary source of atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. Contributing to this trend, single use plastics are goods made from fossil fuel-based petrochemicals that are considered a major threat to the State's delicate ecosystems. Your Committees believe that hotels and other lodging establishments who frequently provide complimentary toiletries that are packaged in single-use plastic containers do not follow the State's commitment to sustainable tourism. This measure will align the hotel and transient lodging industry with the Hawaii Tourism Authority's Strategic Plan's goals of promoting responsible tourism by instituting a prohibition on small plastic containers of personal care products to any person staying in a sleeping room accommodation.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date for lodging establishments with more than fifty sleeping room accommodations to July 1, 2026, to enable lodging establishments to use their existing stock of personal care products;

(2) Clarifying that the definition of "personal care product" does not include lotion; and

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

Your Committees note the comments raised in testimony by the Department of Health regarding the lack of staff or funding necessary for proper implementation for the inspection and enforcement of this measure. Your Committees respectfully request that subsequent Committees to which this measure is referred examine the potential funding and establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position to receive complaints and conduct inspections of lodging establishments.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Tourism and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 348, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 348, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Tourism and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ LYNN DECOITE, Chair