STAND. COM. REP. NO.  72

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 825

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 825 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to regulate transient vacation rentals by establishing licensing requirements and enforcement provisions for transient vacation rentals under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

 

     The Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Rental By Owner Awareness Association; Hawaii Association of Vacation Rental Managers; and many concerned individuals opposed this measure.  The Regulated Industries Complaints Office, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Department of Taxation; Hawaii Tourism Authority; Department of Planning and Permitting, City and County of Honolulu; Outrigger Enterprises Group; and several concerned individuals offered comments on this measure.  

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Amending the definition of "transient vacation rental" to comport with the existing statutory criteria for assessing the Transient Accommodations Tax;

 

     (2)  Making a housekeeping amendment to a Transient Accommodations Tax statute;

 

     (3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to promote further discussion; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 825, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 825, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

TOM BROWER, Chair