Hawaii 2022 Regular Session

Hawaii House Bill HB1508 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B. NO. 1508 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGENERATIVE TOURISM. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
2	2
3	3	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B. NO. 1508
4	4	THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
6	6
7	7	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
8	8
9	9	H.B. NO.
10	10
11	11	1508
12	12
13	13	THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
14	14
15	15
16	16
17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
18	18
19	19
20	20
21	21
22	22
23	23
24	24
25	25
26	26
27	27
28	28
29	29
30	30
31	31	A BILL FOR AN ACT
32	32
33	33
34	34
35	35
36	36
37	37	RELATING TO REGENERATIVE TOURISM.
38	38
39	39
40	40
41	41
42	42
43	43	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
44	44
45	45
46	46
47	47	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that sustainability is a key principle of destination management, yet the State invests less than one per cent of its total budget on natural resource conservation. The legislature also finds that a recent study conducted by Conservation International, a Washington, D.C., based environmental nonprofit organization, concluded that the State needs to spend at least $886,000,000 per year to preserve Hawaii's ecosystems and biocultural resources. However, the State's current conservation spending amounts to just $535,000,000 per year, which results in an approximately $350,000,000 spending gap for conservation annually. Furthermore, the legislature finds that the State has a responsibility to balance the impacts of tourism with the cultural legacy of Native Hawaiian people, which is rooted in the land and environment. As the number of visitors arriving in the State soared past ten million in 2019, state leaders received information about the threats to many cultural sites. According to a report by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaption commission, five hundred fifty cultural sites could be chronically flooded in the future as a result of climate change, which is worsened by carbon emissions generated by airline travel to and from Hawaii each year. The legislature further finds that it is important to ensure that Hawaii's visitor industry embraces cultural values such as mālama āina (care for the land) and uplifts traditional Hawaiian cultural practices that strengthen the islands' social, environmental, and economic well-being. The legislature additionally finds that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Hawaii's local economy, which left hundreds of thousands of residents unemployed, underemployed, and facing financial hardship. Moreover, visitor industry workers were disproportionately harmed by Hawaii's economic downturn, with many employees unable to regain their jobs as the pandemic continued into the summer of 2021. Many of these individuals were associated with multinational corporations and hotels, which were sluggish in rehiring unemployed workers. In July 2021, UNITE HERE! Local 5, a labor organization that represents numerous hotel employees, reported that only sixty-two per cent of its members had been rehired despite some hotels reaching occupancy rates of over ninety per cent. The legislature also finds that it is important to make safeguarding the financial security of residents a strategic priority of the visitor industry to create a tourism sector that responds to the needs of Hawaii's people. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a regenerative tourism framework for the State's visitor industry that advances environmental sustainability, ecological sensitivity, Hawaiian cultural preservation, and the economic security of Hawaii's people. SECTION 2. Section 226-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows: "(b) To achieve the visitor industry objective, it shall be the policy of this State to: (1) Support and assist in the promotion of Hawaii's visitor attractions and facilities[.]; (2) Ensure that visitor industry activities are in keeping with the social, economic, and physical needs and aspirations of Hawaii's people[.]; (3) Improve the quality of existing visitor destination areas by utilizing Hawaii's strengths in science and technology[.]; (4) Encourage cooperation and coordination between the government and private sectors in developing and maintaining well-designed, adequately serviced visitor industry and related developments [which] that are sensitive to neighboring communities and activities[.]; (5) Develop the industry in a manner that will continue to provide new job opportunities and steady employment for Hawaii's people[.]; (6) Provide opportunities for Hawaii's people to obtain job training and education that will allow for upward mobility within the visitor industry[.]; (7) Foster a recognition of the contribution of the visitor industry to Hawaii's economy and the need to perpetuate the aloha spirit[.]; (8) Foster an understanding by visitors of the aloha spirit and of the unique and sensitive character of Hawaii's cultures and values[.]; (9) Form community partnerships to ensure native Hawaiian cultural identity by: (A) Supporting Hawaii's people and communities and their efforts to malama aina (care for the land) and the cultural and natural resources of the aina, oceans, streams, and skies; (B) Strengthening the relationship between the place and people for kamaaina (Hawaii residents) and malihini (guests) alike; (C) Engaging in collaborative efforts that provide visitors with genuine and meaningful experiences in Hawaii; (D) Ensuring that kapu (prohibited) and environmentally sensitive contexts are protected from visitor traffic; (E) Positioning local business owners and entrepreneurs in the economic value chain to ensure more meaningful malihini-kamaaina engagement and economic benefit to local communities; and (F) Acknowledging and, where appropriate, protecting Hawaiian cultural intellectual property, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions that contribute to Hawaii's economy; (10) Employ Hawaii residents, commit to building their capacity, and offer career opportunities to ultimately increase the percentage of Hawaii residents in management and leadership positions in the visitor industry; (11) Apply innovative financial policies, data collection, and analysis mechanisms to incentivize and facilitate a shift to a regenerative visitor industry that has a smaller footprint by, among other things, decreasing the impacts on beaches, reefs, and ocean life; and to sustain and improve the quality of life for Hawaii residents by, among other things, decreasing the impacts of vacation rentals, bed and breakfast operations, and rental cars; (12) Target markets that have a high probability of alignment with the goal of cultivating a regenerative visitor industry; (13) Actively support and encourage other emerging economic sectors to reduce the dependence on tourism to support Hawaii's overall economic prosperity; (14) Minimize negative economic, environmental, and social impacts on the State; (15) Generate greater economic benefits for Hawaii residents, enhance the well-being of host communities, and improve the working conditions and access to the visitor industry; (16) Involve Hawaii residents in decisions that affect their lives and life changes; (17) Make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage for the maintenance of Hawaii's diversity; (18) Provide enjoyable experiences and a greater understanding of local, cultural, social, and environmental issues for visitors through meaningful connections with Hawaii residents; and (19) Provide access for persons with disabilities and disadvantaged persons that is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds pride and confidence in Hawaii." SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
48	48
49	49	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that sustainability is a key principle of destination management, yet the State invests less than one per cent of its total budget on natural resource conservation. The legislature also finds that a recent study conducted by Conservation International, a Washington, D.C., based environmental nonprofit organization, concluded that the State needs to spend at least $886,000,000 per year to preserve Hawaii's ecosystems and biocultural resources. However, the State's current conservation spending amounts to just $535,000,000 per year, which results in an approximately $350,000,000 spending gap for conservation annually.
50	50
51	51	Furthermore, the legislature finds that the State has a responsibility to balance the impacts of tourism with the cultural legacy of Native Hawaiian people, which is rooted in the land and environment. As the number of visitors arriving in the State soared past ten million in 2019, state leaders received information about the threats to many cultural sites. According to a report by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaption commission, five hundred fifty cultural sites could be chronically flooded in the future as a result of climate change, which is worsened by carbon emissions generated by airline travel to and from Hawaii each year. The legislature further finds that it is important to ensure that Hawaii's visitor industry embraces cultural values such as mālama āina (care for the land) and uplifts traditional Hawaiian cultural practices that strengthen the islands' social, environmental, and economic well-being.
52	52
53	53	The legislature additionally finds that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Hawaii's local economy, which left hundreds of thousands of residents unemployed, underemployed, and facing financial hardship. Moreover, visitor industry workers were disproportionately harmed by Hawaii's economic downturn, with many employees unable to regain their jobs as the pandemic continued into the summer of 2021. Many of these individuals were associated with multinational corporations and hotels, which were sluggish in rehiring unemployed workers. In July 2021, UNITE HERE! Local 5, a labor organization that represents numerous hotel employees, reported that only sixty-two per cent of its members had been rehired despite some hotels reaching occupancy rates of over ninety per cent. The legislature also finds that it is important to make safeguarding the financial security of residents a strategic priority of the visitor industry to create a tourism sector that responds to the needs of Hawaii's people.
54	54
55	55	Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a regenerative tourism framework for the State's visitor industry that advances environmental sustainability, ecological sensitivity, Hawaiian cultural preservation, and the economic security of Hawaii's people.
56	56
57	57	SECTION 2. Section 226-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
58	58
59	59	"(b) To achieve the visitor industry objective, it shall be the policy of this State to:
60	60
61	61	(1) Support and assist in the promotion of Hawaii's visitor attractions and facilities[.];
62	62
63	63	(2) Ensure that visitor industry activities are in keeping with the social, economic, and physical needs and aspirations of Hawaii's people[.];
64	64
65	65	(3) Improve the quality of existing visitor destination areas by utilizing Hawaii's strengths in science and technology[.];
66	66
67	67	(4) Encourage cooperation and coordination between the government and private sectors in developing and maintaining well-designed, adequately serviced visitor industry and related developments [which] that are sensitive to neighboring communities and activities[.];
68	68
69	69	(5) Develop the industry in a manner that will continue to provide new job opportunities and steady employment for Hawaii's people[.];
70	70
71	71	(6) Provide opportunities for Hawaii's people to obtain job training and education that will allow for upward mobility within the visitor industry[.];
72	72
73	73	(7) Foster a recognition of the contribution of the visitor industry to Hawaii's economy and the need to perpetuate the aloha spirit[.];
74	74
75	75	(8) Foster an understanding by visitors of the aloha spirit and of the unique and sensitive character of Hawaii's cultures and values[.];
76	76
77	77	(9) Form community partnerships to ensure native Hawaiian cultural identity by:
78	78
79	79	(A) Supporting Hawaii's people and communities and their efforts to malama aina (care for the land) and the cultural and natural resources of the aina, oceans, streams, and skies;
80	80
81	81	(B) Strengthening the relationship between the place and people for kamaaina (Hawaii residents) and malihini (guests) alike;
82	82
83	83	(C) Engaging in collaborative efforts that provide visitors with genuine and meaningful experiences in Hawaii;
84	84
85	85	(D) Ensuring that kapu (prohibited) and environmentally sensitive contexts are protected from visitor traffic;
86	86
87	87	(E) Positioning local business owners and entrepreneurs in the economic value chain to ensure more meaningful malihini-kamaaina engagement and economic benefit to local communities; and
88	88
89	89	(F) Acknowledging and, where appropriate, protecting Hawaiian cultural intellectual property, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions that contribute to Hawaii's economy;
90	90
91	91	(10) Employ Hawaii residents, commit to building their capacity, and offer career opportunities to ultimately increase the percentage of Hawaii residents in management and leadership positions in the visitor industry;
92	92
93	93	(11) Apply innovative financial policies, data collection, and analysis mechanisms to incentivize and facilitate a shift to a regenerative visitor industry that has a smaller footprint by, among other things, decreasing the impacts on beaches, reefs, and ocean life; and to sustain and improve the quality of life for Hawaii residents by, among other things, decreasing the impacts of vacation rentals, bed and breakfast operations, and rental cars;
94	94
95	95	(12) Target markets that have a high probability of alignment with the goal of cultivating a regenerative visitor industry;
96	96
97	97	(13) Actively support and encourage other emerging economic sectors to reduce the dependence on tourism to support Hawaii's overall economic prosperity;
98	98
99	99	(14) Minimize negative economic, environmental, and social impacts on the State;
100	100
101	101	(15) Generate greater economic benefits for Hawaii residents, enhance the well-being of host communities, and improve the working conditions and access to the visitor industry;
102	102
103	103	(16) Involve Hawaii residents in decisions that affect their lives and life changes;
104	104
105	105	(17) Make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage for the maintenance of Hawaii's diversity;
106	106
107	107	(18) Provide enjoyable experiences and a greater understanding of local, cultural, social, and environmental issues for visitors through meaningful connections with Hawaii residents; and
108	108
109	109	(19) Provide access for persons with disabilities and disadvantaged persons that is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds pride and confidence in Hawaii."
110	110
111	111	SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
112	112
113	113	SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
114	114
115	115
116	116
117	117	INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
118	118
119	119	INTRODUCED BY:
120	120
121	121	_____________________________
122	122
123	123
124	124
125	125
126	126
127	127	Report Title: Regenerative Tourism; Hawaii State Planning Act Description: Establishes a regenerative tourism framework under the Hawaii state planning act for the State's visitor industry that advances environmental sustainability, ecological sensitivity, Hawaiian cultural preservation, and the economic security of Hawaii's people. The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
128	128
129	129
130	130
131	131
132	132
133	133	Report Title:
134	134
135	135	Regenerative Tourism; Hawaii State Planning Act
136	136
137	137
138	138
139	139	Description:
140	140
141	141	Establishes a regenerative tourism framework under the Hawaii state planning act for the State's visitor industry that advances environmental sustainability, ecological sensitivity, Hawaiian cultural preservation, and the economic security of Hawaii's people.
142	142
143	143
144	144
145	145
146	146
147	147
148	148
149	149	The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.