STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 127
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 594
H.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 594 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOTELS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Require hotelkeepers to provide adequate notice of service disruptions to guests and third-party vendors under certain conditions; and
(2) Allow for recovery of damages.
Your Committee finds that this measure would protect consumers and help Hawaii maintain a positive image even among visitors who face hotel service disruptions during their stays.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Adding a preamble;
(2) Clarifying the conditions under which a hotelkeeper must provide notification to consumers of service disruptions;
(3) Specifying that regardless of whether the hotelkeeper provides the required notice, a consumer may terminate any remaining period of a reservation, booking, or agreement for the use of a room or hotel service without being assessed a fee, penalty, or other charge or forfeiting certain deposits;
(4) Modifying the amount of damages that a hotelkeeper must pay to an injured consumer;
(5) Allowing a private right of action by an injured consumer;
(6) Amending the definition of "service disruption";
(7) Adding a provision that protects against the impairment of contracts;
(8) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(9) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 594, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 594, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism,
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____________________________ ADRIAN K. TAM, Chair |