Hawaii House Bill HB357

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 1/21/25

Caption

RELATING TO HURRICANE SHELTERS.

Summary

HB357 would appropriate an unspecified amount of general funds in fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to the Office of the Governor, working with the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to strengthen existing hurricane shelters and develop new shelters capable of withstanding Category 5 hurricanes. The bill is framed as a climate-adaptation and emergency-preparedness measure, with legislative findings describing increasing hurricane risk to Hawaii due to warming seas and the need for more resilient shelter infrastructure. The measure also states that many current refuge areas do not meet the criteria of true hurricane shelters and that existing capacity may be insufficient for a major storm event. It emphasizes the vulnerability of many homes, especially wooden structures, and argues that the state has a moral obligation to prepare for stronger future hurricanes by investing in shelter resilience and expansion. The bill would take effect on July 1, 2025.

Impact

If enacted, HB357 would create a new state appropriation and direct executive-branch agencies to plan and carry out hurricane shelter hardening and construction. It would not amend a specific existing statute, but it would authorize state spending and assign implementation responsibilities to the Governor’s office, DCCA’s Insurance Division, and HIEMA. The practical effect would be to expand and upgrade emergency shelter infrastructure statewide, with an explicit design target of Category 5 hurricane resistance.

Sentiment

The bill’s stated purpose and findings reflect strong support for disaster preparedness, climate resilience, and public safety. However, the only recorded committee action is a recommendation to defer the measure in the PBS committee, suggesting that while the policy goal may be broadly understandable, the proposal had not yet advanced and may have faced questions about funding, scope, or implementation. No vote tally or transcript is available to show broader debate.

Contention

The main points of contention appear to be the bill’s cost, the open-ended appropriation amount, and whether the state can realistically build or retrofit shelters to withstand Category 5 hurricanes. The bill also raises questions about the adequacy of existing refuge sites, the definition of a legitimate hurricane shelter, and how responsibilities would be divided among the Governor, DCCA, and HIEMA. The deferment recommendation indicates at least some committee hesitation, though the record provided does not identify specific opponents or objections.