HB1482 Summary

• Proposes constitutional amendments to Article XI to establish state management of beaches statewide in perpetuity as protected resources.

• Adds new constitutional section authorizing the State to manage, preserve, and control beaches for the benefit of future generations, with management subject to legislature-established policies and criteria ensuring public beach access.

• Amends Article XI, Section 1 to explicitly include "beaches" in the list of natural resources the State must conserve and protect alongside land, water, air, minerals, and energy sources.

• Ballot question would ask voters: "Shall the State Constitution be amended to permit the State to manage beaches statewide, in perpetuity, as protected state resources?"

• Addresses sea-level rise concerns, public safety hazards from beach erosion and inundation, and implements recommendations from the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission established in 2017.