HB 446 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO A STATE HOTEL.

Summary

Requires the Hawaii Tourism Authority and School of Travel Industry Management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to jointly perform a study regarding the design, construction or purchase, and operations and management of a state hotel. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

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What changed between versions

HB446 → HB446_HD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to shift the project from active planning to a preliminary study, requiring the agencies to evaluate whether to build or buy a hotel rather than immediately planning construction. The timeline was significantly altered to delay the final report until July 2027 and set the act's full effective date to July 1, 3000, while funding remains appropriated for the initial study phase. These changes slow down the legislative process to ensure a thorough feasibility analysis before committing to major construction or acquisition efforts.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from requiring immediate active planning and joint management of a state hotel to mandating a feasibility study that considers construction versus purchasing an existing hotel.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the mandate from 'collaborate to actively plan' to 'jointly perform a study' regarding design, construction, or purchase.

Added specific study requirements to evaluate staffing/financial resources and the cost-effectiveness of building versus purchasing a hotel.

Removed the requirement that the state hotel be jointly managed by the tourism authority and university.

Removed the provision allowing the hotel to employ union members and university students.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for submitting the study report to twenty days before the 2027 legislative session and set the act's effective date to July 1, 3000.

FISCAL

Updated funding language to reflect the shift from planning activities to performing a study.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 31, 2025

Committee

Reported from TOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 25) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to HED.

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on TOU recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Tam, Templo, Hussey, Ilagan, Todd, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Holt.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to TOU, HED, FIN, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

11 primary · 0 co-sponsors