HB 1800 Summary

• Prohibits sale, offering, furnishing, possession, and use of consumer fireworks statewide, except for permitted cultural events including religious events.

• Eliminates current exceptions allowing fireworks use on New Year's Eve, Fourth of July, and Chinese New Year's Day.

• Permits consumer fireworks use only from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for approved cultural events, limited to 5,000 individual firecrackers per permit at $25 per permit.

• Expands definition of "cultural" to explicitly include religious events in addition to arts, customs, traditions, mores, and history of Hawaii's ethnic groups.

• Cites public safety concerns including fire and burn injuries, smoke hazards for people with respiratory conditions, psychological trauma to veterans and pets, and strain on emergency response resources.