A bill to limit commercial vendors on public beaches had its first hearing Tuesday.
Senate Bill 67 would prohibit resort and commercial vendors from setting up equipment on public beaches or public land unless a customer is present.
Items such as rented beach chairs, umbrellas, surfboards, kayaks and non-motorized water equipment would be prohibited in areas under the jurisdiction of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Dawn Chang, the department's nominated director, said this bill would cite those who set up gear and take up large swatches of land without customers
"There was a court case that was thrown out where there were citations issued to these vendors who put all these beach chairs out, and the court said they can do that," Chang said.
She said the bill's intention is to "support the state's ability to require the presence, just like any member of the public, so that you're not reserving the public beach for exclusive, private use."
In written testimony, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs said they support the measure
"Hawai‘i's beaches and shoreline areas provide numerous benefits to the Native Hawaiian community and the public that are critical to our cultural values and kama‘āina way of life," OHA said.
The measure passed out of its first committee hearing Tuesday. It must now be heard before the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees before advancing.
