Committees approve bill requiring hotels to notify guests and vendors of service disruptions

House Bill 594, a bill that would require hotelkeepers to provide adequate notice to guests and third-party vendors of service disruptions and allow recovery of damages under certain conditions, was advanced by joint House committees on Jan. 30, 2025, with amendments recommended by the Attorney General’s office.

Deputy Attorney General Christopher Hahn recommended adding a purpose section to identify the government interest and a savings clause to reduce exposure to contracts-clause challenges. “We’re recommending a couple of housekeeping amendments to bolster the bill against potential legal challenges,” Hahn said.

Unite Here Local 5, representing hospitality workers in Hawaii, testified in strong support. The union said guests have expectations based on advertising and vendors’ representations, and that better notice would reduce consumer harm and preserve Hawaii’s reputation as a destination. “When their expectations are not met, it’s incumbent on us to mitigate this as much as possible,” a union representative told the committees.

The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass HB 594 with amendments, incorporating the attorney general’s suggested preamble and other technical fixes; the chair directed insertion of proposed AG language and set local drafting amendments. The recommendation was adopted by voice vote without recorded opposition.

The committee also noted written testimony and stakeholder input in favor and will move the bill forward as HD1 with the specified amendments.