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SB2426 • 2026

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Budget Land
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
KANUHA, CHANG, MCKELVEY
Last action
2026-02-20
Official status
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

What This Bill Does

  • RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
  • DLNR; Non-Chemical Sunscreen Dispensers; State Beaches; Appropriation ($) Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to contract or form a partnership with private parties to assist with the maintenance and management of sunscreen dispensers at all state beaches, as well as publicize that the mineral-based sunscreen in these dispensers is more protective of the coral reefs of the State.
  • Appropriates funds for the installation, maintenance, management, and operation of non-chemical sunscreen dispensers on all state beaches.
  • Effective 7/1/2050.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SD1

1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2426 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

  • SB2426 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
  • NO.
  • 2426 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
  • 1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION .

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-20 S

    Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

  2. 2026-02-20 S

    Reported from AEN/WLA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2569) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

  3. 2026-02-11 S

    The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Richards, DeCoite ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

  4. 2026-02-11 S

    The committee(s) on WLA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WLA were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Inouye, Chang, Lamosao, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

  5. 2026-02-06 S

    The committee(s) on AEN/WLA has scheduled a public hearing on 02-11-26 3:00PM; CR 224 & Videoconference.

  6. 2026-01-28 S

    Referred to AEN/WLA, WAM.

  7. 2026-01-22 S

    Passed First Reading.

  8. 2026-01-22 S

    Introduced.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
DLNR; Non-Chemical Sunscreen Dispensers; State Beaches; Appropriation ($)
Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to contract or form a partnership with private parties to assist with the maintenance and management of sunscreen dispensers at all state beaches, as well as publicize that the mineral-based sunscreen in these dispensers is more protective of the coral reefs of the State. Appropriates funds for the installation, maintenance, management, and operation of non-chemical sunscreen dispensers on all state beaches. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB2426

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2426

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that the use of chemical‑based sunscreen is detrimental
to the health of Hawai
ʻ
i's coral reef
ecosystems.
�
The National Ocean Service
finds that the chemicals in both lotion and aerosol sunscreens can impair the
growth of plants, stunt and deform animals, and contribute to the bleaching of
coral.
�
In 2018, the legislature passed
Senate Bill No. 2571, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1, signed into law as Act 104,
that bans the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of any sunscreen in the
State that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate, or both, without a
medically-licensed prescription.
�

Recently, there have been additional efforts to expand the ban to
include more chemicals, such as avobenzone and octocrylene, that negatively
impact Hawai
ʻ
i's fragile coral
reefs.
�
However, opponents have expressed
concerns with limited stock of approved sunscreens available on island for
consumers, which has halted efforts to further protect Hawai
ʻ
i's
coral reefs.

����
The legislature
further finds that an alternative mineral‑based sunscreen exists that
protects consumers from skin cancer and does not harm the reef ecosystems.
�
The first dispenser of this sunscreen in a
Hawai
ʻ
i state park was established in November
2021 at the Waialae section of H
ā
puna state recreation
area on the west coast of Hawai
ʻ
i island.
�
The legislature also finds that the
deployment of sunscreen dispensers at state beaches will ease the burden of
securing reef-safe sunscreens for use by residents and visitors alike, as well
as further protect Hawai
ʻ
i's coral reef
ecosystems.

����
The purpose of this Act is to:

����
(1)
�
Expand
the use of the mineral-based sunscreen dispensers to all state beaches to
decrease the amount of chemicals impacting Hawai
ʻ
i's
reef ecosystems; and

����
(2)
�
Authorize
the department of land and natural resources to contract or form a partnership
with private parties, such as hotels, community organizations, and nonprofit
organizations with an environmental protection mission, to assist in the
maintenance and management of installed mineral‑based sunscreen
dispensers at state beaches, as well as publicize that the mineral-based
sunscreen in these dispensers is more protective of the coral reefs of the
State.

����
SECTION 2.
�

The department of land and natural resources may contract or form a
partnership with private parties, including hotels, community organizations,
and nonprofit organizations with an environmental protection mission, to assist
in the maintenance, management, and operation of installed mineral-based
sunscreen dispensers at all state beaches, as well as publicize that the
mineral-based sunscreen in these dispensers is more protective of the coral
reefs of the State.

����
SECTION 3.
�

There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii
the sum of $100,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
2026-2027 for the department of land and natural resources to install,
maintain, manage, and operate mineral-based sunscreen dispensers at all state
beaches.

����
The sum

appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural
resources for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DLNR; Non-Chemical Sunscreen Dispensers; State Beaches; Appropriation

Description:

Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to
contract or form a partnership with private parties to assist with the
maintenance and management of sunscreen dispensers at all state beaches, as
well as publicize that the mineral-based sunscreen in these dispensers is more
protective of the coral reefs of the State.
�

Appropriates funds for the installation, maintenance, management, and
operation of non-chemical sunscreen dispensers on all state beaches.
�

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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.