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Committee advances bill requiring safety warnings on spearfishing gear
Summary
House Bill 17-65 was advanced after testimony from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and FreeDive Safe Hawaii founder Nikki Roderick, who urged low-cost warning labels to reduce hypoxic/shallow-water blackout risks among divers.
The House Committee on Health moved House Bill 17-65 forward as a house draft after hearing comments from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and safety advocates.
David Sakoda (DLNR) stood on written testimony and offered comments. Nikki Roderick, founder of FreeDive Safe Hawaii, told the committee that freediving blackout "happens suddenly and without warning" and recommended that warning labels at the point of sale prompt users and parents to seek education. She testified that labeling implementation costs are minimal — "approximately 30¢ per sticker" — and that warnings are a practical complement to education, not a regulatory restriction on diving.
Committee members did not raise further questions. The chair moved to pass the bill with amendments setting an effective date of July 1, 2027, and the committee recorded the recommendation to pass with amendments.
The measure will proceed as a house draft for additional technical work.
