Senate to hold public hearing on vacation rental bill

Three Senate Committees will hold a joint public hearing on Senate Bill 2919, proposed legislation that would establish certain state regulations for short-term vacation rentals.

The bill also would allow the counties the ability to adopt zoning ordinances and regulations for the amortization or phasing out of certain lands or structures. Under the bill the transient accommodations tax would be applied to shelters and vehicles within, or advertised as including sleeping accommodations.

This will be the first hearing on a Senate Bill about short-term vacation rentals following the Governor’s State of the State Address and the December 2023 federal court ruling in Hawaiʻi Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance v. City and County of Honolulu.

The public hearing for Senate Bill 2919 will take place on Feb. 2, 2024 at 9:35 a.m.

Participating committees include the Senate Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection, Energy and Economic Development, and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs.

A livestream of the informational briefing can be viewed on the Senate YouTube channel here.