HB 1848 Summary

• Adds definitions for "beach" (sand coastal landform providing public recreation, ecosystem benefits, and coastal hazard buffers) and "coastal hazards" (tsunami, hurricanes, wind, waves, storm surges, high tide, flooding, erosion, sea level rise, subsidence, and pollution) to Hawaii coastal zone management law.

• Strengthens coastal zone management objectives and policies to explicitly protect beaches and coastal dunes as ecosystems and natural buffers against coastal hazards, and requires residential and commercial development to minimize exposure to coastal hazards.

• Increases minimum shoreline setback from 20-40 feet to a fixed 40 feet inland from the shoreline.

• Restricts private shoreline hardening structures (seawalls and revetments) in areas with beaches and where such structures would interfere with recreational activities; limits public shoreline hardening structures similarly.

• Takes effect July 1, 2050.