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Committee moves shoreline disclosure bill forward after debate over ad‑level practicality
Summary
HB 2431, which would require certain shoreline disclosure elements earlier in real‑estate transactions (including on advertisements or listings), was passed to the next committee after testimony from DLNR, Surfrider and realtors on timing, practicality and liability concerns.
The House Committee on Water and Land advanced HB 2431 HD1, a bill that would move certain seller disclosures about shoreline conditions — permitted and unpermitted erosion control structures, expiration dates for permits, notices of alleged violation and fines — earlier in real‑estate transactions so prospective buyers see them before committing.
Michael Kane (DLNR) testified the bill does not add new disclosure items but moves existing disclosures earlier in the process, so buyers see information about shoreline setbacks, unpermitted structures and agency fines earlier than the current ten‑day post‑contract deadline.
Hannah Lilly (Surfrider Foundation) urged the committee to support early transparency, saying late disclosure can pressure buyers into costly decisions and lead to more shoreline hardening and environmental harm. "The issue is not whether this information must be disclosed. It is when," she said.
Realtors (Mihoko Eto) raised practical concerns about requiring extensive disclosure at the advertisement level — for example, social media posts and short flyers have character limits — and worried an ad‑level notice could be inconsistent with the existing two‑page oceanfront disclosure form. DLNR staff responded that the bill as drafted targets four narrow items that could be flagged concisely on listing pages and that more technical work could occur in the Consumer Protection committee.
After extensive questioning about feasibility, liability and whether the advertisement or the formal listing is the appropriate venue, the committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass HB 2431 with amendments and a defect date, and to advance further discussion in the next committee.
