HB 209 Summary

• Requires the state board on geographic names to establish appropriate names for Fissure 8 vent and other features created by the 2018 Kilauea volcano eruption that began May 3, 2018

• Mandates consultation with community members who have direct traditional, cultural, and familial ties to the Puna district in Hawaii County during the naming process

• Notes that Fissure 8, which opened May 5, 2018, has evolved into a broad lava cone approximately 180 feet wide rather than remaining a simple fissure, making its current name inaccurate

• Recognizes that Hawaiian language names for volcanic features can encode information about physical characteristics, historical events, ecological surroundings, geographical location, and oral histories

• Takes effect upon approval