US Senate approves passage of Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act

The US Senate has unanimously passed the Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act, a bill introduced by US Sen. Mazie Hirono and US Rep. Jill Tokuda.

The bicameral legislation directs the National Park Service, in coordination with Maui County and other state and local partners, to study the suitability and feasibility of a National Heritage Area designation for Lahaina. The bill passed the House on Dec. 4. Now, it heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for final action.

“The devastating August 2023 wildfires that claimed over 100 lives and destroyed much of Lahaina shed light on how special this town is, not only to the Maui community, but also to Hawaiʻi and the country,” Hirono said. “The historic, natural and cultural resources found in Lahaina tell a nationally significant story, and this bill will help ensure that story can continue to be told and appreciated for generations to come. Since 1984, there have been over 60 National Heritage Areas established across the country, none of which are in Hawaiʻi. It is a fitting tribute that Lahaina is now under consideration to be one of our first. I’m glad the Senate has passed this legislation and look forward to President Biden signing it into law.”

Tokuda said: “The Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act is about grounding its rebirth and rebuilding in the history, culture and tradition of the ahupuaʻa that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. I am grateful and proud of the overwhelming bipartisan support our bill received in the House, and humbled and honored by Senator Hironoʻs leadership and insistence on getting this passed by the Senate before the end of this Congress. I am hopeful the president will also see my bill as a necessary step forward in honoring and healing our community and in getting Lahaina the recognition she long deserves.”

The National Park Service currently oversees 62 National Heritage Areas across the country, none of which are in Hawaiʻi. In 2022, the House passed Senator Hirono’s Kaena Point National Heritage Area Act to study designating Kaena Point on Oahu as a National Heritage Area.

The full text of the legislation is here. To see a YouTube video of Hirono’s floor remarks, click here.