---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO SHARK AND RAY PROTECTION."
description: "Expands the existing prohibition on knowingly capturing or killing a manta ray in state marine waters to apply to all rays and to also include knowingly taking, possessing, abusing, or entangling a ray. Provides certain exemptions. (HB808 CD1)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2019 Regular Session"
identifier: "HB 808"
citation: "Hawaii HB 808 (2019 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Rays", "Prohibitions", "Exemptions"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["BELATTI", "C. LEE", "JOHANSON", "LOWEN", "NISHIMOTO", "YAMANE"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 51
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2019-01-22"
last_action: "2019-07-09"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f561958b-2c46-44f7-8913-a4219e133ea4"
source_url: "http://capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives8-12.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=808&year=2019"
source_hash: "27bfa78f01d14ef7ae6f87704614f52a98bf552646ac5a0a4e6e84ac570af586"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii HB 808 (2019 Regular Session) — RELATING TO SHARK AND RAY PROTECTION.

Expands the existing prohibition on knowingly capturing or killing a manta ray in state marine waters to apply to all rays and to also include knowingly taking, possessing, abusing, or entangling a ray. Provides certain exemptions. (HB808 CD1)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB808** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/bills/HB808_.HTM)
2. **HB808_CD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/bills/HB808_CD1_.HTM)
3. **HB808_HD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/bills/HB808_HD1_.HTM)
4. **HB808_SD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/bills/HB808_SD1_.HTM)

## Votes

- The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **4–0** (pass) · upper
- The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **3–0** (pass) · upper
- The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. — **3–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **10–0** (pass) · upper
- The committees on WLH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **5–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- BELATTI — primary (person)
- C. LEE — primary (person)
- JOHANSON — primary (person)
- LOWEN — primary (person)
- NISHIMOTO — primary (person)
- YAMANE — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-01-22** Pending introduction.
- **2019-01-24** Introduced and Pass First Reading. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-01-28** Referred to WLH, JUD, referral sheet 6 `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-01** Bill scheduled to be heard by WLH on Wednesday, 02-06-19 9:30AM in House conference room 325.
- **2019-02-06** The committees on WLH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamane, Todd, Lowen, Tarnas, Wildberger; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Har, Thielen. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-02-15** Reported from WLH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 779) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JUD.
- **2019-02-15** Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JUD with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Aquino, DeCoite, Nakamura, Quinlan, Thielen excused (5). `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2019-02-22** Bill scheduled to be heard by JUD on Tuesday, 02-26-19 2:05PM in House conference room 325.
- **2019-02-26** The committee(s) on JUD recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-27-19.
- **2019-02-26** Bill scheduled for decision making on Wednesday, 02-27-19 2:00PM in conference room 325.
- **2019-02-27** The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) C. Lee, San Buenaventura, Brower, Lowen, Takayama, Thielen; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Morikawa; Noes: none; and 4 Excused: Representative(s) Creagan, McKelvey, Say, Yamane. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-01** Reported from JUD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1180), recommending passage on Third Reading.
- **2019-03-05** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2019-03-07** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 411). `introduction`
- **2019-03-07** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2019-03-07** Referred to WTL, JDC/WAM. `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-12** The committee(s) on WTL has scheduled a public hearing on 03-15-19 1:15PM in conference room 229.
- **2019-03-15** The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WTL were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) K. Kahele, Nishihara, Riviere; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Keith-Agaran. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-20** Reported from WTL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1275) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC/WAM.
- **2019-03-20** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC/WAM.
- **2019-03-29** The committee(s) on JDC/WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-03-19 10:00AM in conference room 211.
- **2019-04-03** The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) K. Rhoads, Wakai, Gabbard, Kim, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-03** The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 10 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Keith-Agaran, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Moriwaki, Riviere, Shimabukuro, Taniguchi, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 3 Excused: Senator(s) English, Harimoto, K. Kahele. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-05** Reported from JDC/WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1964) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
- **2019-04-05** 48 Hrs. Notice 04-09-19.
- **2019-04-09** Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella, J.Keohokalole. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2019-04-09** Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 784) in amended form (SD 2).
- **2019-04-11** House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
- **2019-04-12** Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 804).
- **2019-04-15** Re-referred to WLH, JUD, FIN, referral sheet 52 `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-15** House Conferees Appointed: Yamane, C. Lee, Luke Co-Chairs; Nishimoto, Tarnas, Thielen.
- **2019-04-15** Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 808).
- **2019-04-17** House Conferees Changed: Representative Luke discharged as Co-Chair. Representative Nishimoto discharged as Member; Added as Co-Chair.
- **2019-04-18** Received notice of change in conferees (Hse. Com. No. 815).
- **2019-04-24** Senate Conferees Appointed: K. Kahele Chair; K. Rhoads, Kanuha Co-Chairs; Fevella.
- **2019-04-24** Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Thursday, 04-25-19 3:00PM in conference room 312.
- **2019-04-24** Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 958).
- **2019-04-25** Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 04-26-19 3:00PM in conference room 312.
- **2019-04-26** The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamane, Nishimoto, Tarnas; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) C. Lee, Thielen.
- **2019-04-26** The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) K. Kahele, Kanuha, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) K. Rhoads. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-26** Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 126) as amended in (CD 1).
- **2019-04-26** Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-30-19.
- **2019-04-26** Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 126).
- **2019-04-26** 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 04-30-19.
- **2019-04-30** Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.
- **2019-04-30** Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ichiyama excused (1).
- **2019-05-01** Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 968).
- **2019-05-02** Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 883).
- **2019-05-01** Transmitted to Governor.
- **2019-07-09** Act 252, on 07/05/2019 (Gov. Msg. No. 1354). `executive-signature`
- **2019-07-09** Act 252, 07/05/2019 (Gov. Msg. No. 1354). `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f561958b-2c46-44f7-8913-a4219e133ea4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).