HI HB2779

Amends Hawaii's coastal zone management law to require that developments in special management areas will not interfere with natural beach processes, including accretion or erosion, as a new approval criterion.

Requires the coastal zone management authority to identify and categorize zones within special management areas by habitat, ecosystem, or resource type and establish specific guidelines for each zone.

Mandates the authority presume one foot of sea level rise by 2050 and three feet by 2100 for planning purposes.

Revises variance standards for shoreline structures to require consideration of alternatives with less adverse impacts (such as beach nourishment) before granting variances for erosion-control structures that artificially fix the shoreline.

Requires the authority to adopt rules establishing clear processes and guidelines for variance determinations, including facility-type definitions, public interest criteria, and hardship definitions that exclude certain post-1989 permits.