H.B. 549 Summary

• Adds definitions of "beach" (coastal landform providing public recreation, ecosystem benefits, and natural hazard barriers) and "coastal hazards" (tsunami, hurricanes, wind, waves, storm surges, erosion, sea level rise, subsidence, and pollution) to Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 205A

• Establishes new coastal zone management objective and policies for beach protection, including protecting beaches and coastal dunes for public use, ecosystem benefits, and natural barriers to coastal hazards; coordinates and funds beach management and protection

• Prohibits construction of private shoreline hardening structures (seawalls and revetments) at sites with beaches and minimizes public shoreline hardening structures at such sites

• Modifies single-family residence exemption from coastal zone development review to exclude structures on parcels impacted by waves, storm surges, high tide, or shoreline erosion

• Increases minimum shoreline setback requirement from 20 feet to 40 feet inland from the shoreline and restricts hardship variance approval for shoreline hardening to exclude seawalls and revetments in beach areas