US EditionHawaii Enacts Tourist Tax and Wage Hike While Cruise Ship Levy Faces Court Injunction
Hawaii raises minimum wage to $16 and implements a 0.75% tourist lodging tax expected to generate $100 million annually; cruise ship tax faces temporary federal court block.
- On May 27, Gov. Josh Green signed Senate Bill 1396 as Act 96, raising the Transient Accommodations Tax from 10.25% to 11%, expected to generate nearly $100 million for Hawaii.
- Citing the 2023 Maui wildfires that killed 102 people and caused $13 billion in damage, Gov. Josh Green said `We must build resiliency now` while signing the fee.
- Starting in July, Act 96 requires the state to distribute increased TAT revenue, and Act 199 and HB 534 tighten macadamia and ahi labeling rules, officials said.
- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on New Year's Eve blocked enforcement of the cruise-ship portion after the Cruise Line International Association sued, halting collection while appeals proceed.
- Across the country, hundreds of new laws take effect as Utah lawmakers require restaurants and bars to check ID and label `extreme driving under the influence` offenders with red-striped IDs.
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98 Articles
States ring in 2026 with laws on climate, AI, DUI, wages, immigration and more
As we flip the calendar to 2026, hundreds of new laws take effect across the country, targeting everything from climate change and artificial intelligence to drunk driving and the cost of living. State officials say they enacted the new laws to respond to events like the Maui wildfires, policy changes such as mass deportations and phenomena such as youth exposure to artificial intelligence and social media. Here’s how some of the most significan…
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
West Hawaii TodayMinimum wage hike, ‘Green fee’ tax among Hawaii’s new 2026 laws
Hawaii’s minimum wage goes up $2 an hour today — to $16 from $14 — amid other new state laws in 2026 that include America’s first statewide tax increase aimed primarily at tourists to help adapt to climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires.
New state laws in 2026 target climate change, drunken driving
A slate of new laws will go into effect in states across the country beginning Jan. 1. From Hawaii imposing a tax on tourists to address conservation, to California raising its minimum wage by $0.40 an hour, 2026 will bring a host of policy changes. Here is what to know about four state laws that…
Minimum wage hike, ‘Green fee’ tax among Hawaii’s new 2026 laws | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaii’s minimum wage goes up $2 an hour Thursday — to $16 from $14 — amid other new state laws in 2026 that include America’s first statewide tax increase aimed primarily at tourists to help adapt to climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires.
Associated Press News
New 2026 laws are among the first of their kind to tackle climate change, drunken driving
The new year will begin with some first-of-their-kind laws in several states. Hawaii will become the first state to raise its tourism tax on hotels and vacation rentals, specifically to tackle the consequences of climate change.
With the arrival of the New Year, new state laws come into effect across the country on a variety of issues, including some that seem to contain pioneering policies, programs, or procedures. Some states are looking for ways to mitigate the impact of rising health care premiums, as the Affordable Care Act tax subsidies expire after Congress failed to extend them. In addition, tourists celebrating the New Year in Hawaii would be the first to pay a…
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