STAND. COM. REP. NO. 772

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1506

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1506, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes within the Department of Transportation for administrative purposes a safe routes for people implementation program and safe routes for people implementation committee;

(2) Clarifies the responsibilities of various entities in relation to the safe routes to school program;

(3) Renames the safe routes to school program special fund as the safe routes for people special fund and clarifies the moneys to be deposited into, and authorizes uses of the moneys in, the special fund; and

(4) Appropriates moneys to the Department of Transportation to address bicycle and pedestrian facilities in state and county transportation systems.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; State Council on Developmental Disabilities; City and County of Honolulu, Department of Transportation Services; Hawaii County Council; Honolulu Police Department; AARP Hawaii; Bikeshare Hawaii; Cycle On Hawaii; Hawaii Bicycling League; Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hawaii Public Health Institute; Malama Kauai; Ulupono Initiative; We Are One, Inc.; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Transportation.

Your Committee finds that the establishment of a safe routes for people implementation program will support the creation and maintenance of a transportation system that provides safe mobility for all modes of transportation and all users.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inviting, rather than requiring, representatives from specific private entities to serve on the safe routes for people implementation committee;

(2) Including as an invited member of the safe routes for people implementation committee, one member representing the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools;

(3) Repealing the requirement that the safe routes for people implementation committee, in consultation with the Department of Education, Department of Health, and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, provide safe routes to school funds for certain workshops and projects;

(4) Requiring that the safe routes for people implementation committee develop recommendations for school-based and community-based workshops, review project proposals, and select certain priority infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects;

(5) Repealing, rather than amending, the requirement that each county submit to the Legislature an annual report on the status and progress of that county's safe routes to school program;

(6) Repealing the requirement that the Director of Transportation submit an annual report to the Legislature on the status and progress of the safe routes to school program;

(7) Deleting the requirement that a certain percentage of safe routes for people funds intended for safe routes to school projects be allocated for certain activities;

(8) Clarifying the required contents of the Department of Transportation's annual report to be submitted to the Legislature pursuant to section 291C-4(c), Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(9) Clarifying the purpose of the appropriation contained in this measure;

(10) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(11) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1506, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1506, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair