STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3261

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2175

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 2175, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE KAAAWA-HAUULA COMMUNITY-BASED LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Appropriate funds for the development of a community—based, long-range transportation plan for the Kaaawa, Punaluu, and Hauula communities; and

(2) Require the involvement of community members and organizations in the development plan process.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, and four individuals.

Your Committee finds that climate change is causing coastal erosion and escalating challenges to rural communities along the State's coasts. Your Committee further finds that the specific vulnerabilities faced by the communities of Kaaawa, Punaluu, and Hauula, including the urgency of addressing coastal erosion and road conditions, require long-term plans to mitigate the effects of climate change. This measure will preserve the integrity of vital transportation infrastructure by appropriating funds to develop a Kaaawa-Hauula Community-Based, Long—Range Transportation Plan.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the date for the Department of Transportation to submit the Kaaawa-Hauula Community-Based, Long-Range Transportation Plan to the Legislature from June 30, 2026, to December 31, 2026; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2175, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2175, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair