STAND. COM. REP. NO. 441

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1293

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1293 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD-TENANT CODE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide an amount of recovery for tenants who prevail in a civil action against a landlord of a dwelling unit that is located within a federally declared disaster area for violation of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that when rental housing becomes limited due to disaster, tenants are particularly vulnerable to predatory practices by landlords.  Following the 2023 Maui wildfires, landlords of dwelling units within the disaster area were charging exorbitant rental fees and evicting tenants in violation of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code.  This measure enables tenants who live within federally declared disaster areas whose landlords are found to have violated the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code, to recover damages.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1293, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1293, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

 

 

 

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair