HB 1578 Summary

• Requires sellers of residential real property to disclose in mandatory disclosure statements if the property lies within a sea level rise exposure area as designated by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission, effective November 1, 2019.

• Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 508D-15 to add sea level rise exposure areas as a fifth category of designated hazard areas requiring mandatory disclosure (alongside flood hazard areas, airport noise zones, military installation zones, and tsunami inundation areas).

• Establishes new shoreline setback line requirements in Chapter 205A based on annual erosion rates and lot depth, ranging from 25 feet minimum to up to 150 feet, with specific calculations for different lot sizes.

• Requires shoreline setback lines to be identified and marked by a licensed surveyor before construction begins, and directs the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules implementing these setback standards.

• Effective date: January 1, 2020 for most provisions; November 1, 2019 for mandatory seller disclosure requirements.