HB2164 Summary

• Establishes a regenerative tourism program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to restructure Hawaii's tourism industry toward environmentally sustainable and culturally beneficial practices.

• Requires program members to meet eligibility criteria including being a principal owner with at least 10 years Hawaii residency, executing a community benefit agreement, and integrating Hawaiian cultural values into business operations.

• Creates a grant program providing up to $10,000 in initial matching grants (one-to-one basis) to members with approved regenerative tourism business plans, plus up to $15,000 expansion grants after five years for members showing 50% business growth.

• Establishes a regenerative tourism special fund to be administered by the department, receiving legislative appropriations, gifts, donations, and grants to support the program and grants.

• Requires phased program implementation beginning in an area that sustained at least $1 billion in wildfire damages during 2023, with an unspecified appropriation amount declared to exceed the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024-2025.