HB 649 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO SMALL BOAT HARBORS.

Summary

Establishes the Small Boat Harbor Commercial Vessel Special Fund. Increases moorage fees for commercial vessels. Requires that revenue from the fee increase be used by the Department of Land and Natural Resources for improvements that primarily benefit commercial vessels that utilize state small boat harbors. Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds with debt service to be paid from special funds, for repairs of various harbors. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Sub-Topics: Debt & Bonds

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Mar 14, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB649 → HB649_HD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes a new special fund for small boat harbors to exclusively support improvements benefiting commercial vessels, modifies fee structures for commercial and liveaboard vessels, and authorizes general obligation bonds for harbor capital projects. The changes shift funding priorities toward commercial vessel infrastructure and create a dedicated revenue stream for these improvements.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a new dedicated fund for commercial vessel improvements and modified fee applicability to include specific commercial vessel usage scenarios.

FISCAL

Created a new 'small boat harbor commercial vessel special fund' to exclusively finance improvements primarily benefiting commercial vessels.

Removed specific dollar amounts for capital improvement projects in Section 4, leaving funding amounts blank for future appropriation.

REQUIREMENT

Added a monthly liveaboard fee for recreational vessels used as principal habitation, set at twice the standard moorage fee.

Established a new monthly fee for commercial vessels used from permitted moorings, set as the greater of 3% gross revenues, $1.50 per passenger, or twice the recreational moorage fee.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 3000, likely a placeholder requiring correction.

TECHNICAL

Removed specific project funding amounts and some project descriptions from the capital improvement list.

Floor votes · House Mar 4, 2025

How they voted

42–7

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 51

Mar 4, 2025

D Democratic41

41 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

1 Yea 7 Nay 2

70% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL has scheduled a public hearing on 03-14-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to WTL, WAM.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 265).

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Cochran, Garcia, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Shimizu, Souza voting no (7) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Morikawa, Templo; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Miyake, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hussey, Ward.

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 361) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Iwamoto, Poepoe, Woodson; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Morikawa; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Shimizu, Souza; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ichiyama.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to WAL, FIN, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors