Green Fee to take effect on Jan. 1

Associated Press/Caleb Jones

By Michael Tsai for Spectrum News

“We must protect and preserve Hawaii’s natural resources and safeguard the health of our residents,” said Gov. Josh Green, in a statement released on Tuesday. “Visitors who benefit from our island’s resources have a shared responsibility to help preserve them. The Green Fee ensures that the resources needed to protect Hawaii are available for future generations.”

Act 96 (formerly Senate Bill 1396), passed by the state Legislature and enacted by Green earlier this year, establishes the nation’s first climate impact fee. The new law increases the existing transient accommodations tax rate by 0.75% beginning in 2026 and levies, for the first time, the TAT on cruise ships that port in the state.

Funds generated by the Green Fee will be used to build resiliency against the impacts of climate change by funding environmental stewardship, hazard mitigation and sustainable tourism.

Click here to read the full story published by Spectrum News on Dec. 24