STAND. COM. REP. NO. 528-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1879

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1879, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC TRANSIT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish within the Department of Transportation a Subsidized Youth Transit Program, to be coordinated with the counties;

(2) Establish a Subsidized Youth Transit Program Special Fund;

(3) Require biannual evaluations of the new program and Special Fund;

(4) Allocate monies from the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax to the Subsidized Youth Transit Program Special Fund; and

(5) Appropriate monies into and out of the Subsidized Youth Transit Program Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Department of Transportation; Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; two members of the Honolulu City Council; Get Fit Kauaʻi; Aloha United Way; Hawaiʻi State Youth Commission; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaiʻi Bicycling League; Green Party of Hawaiʻi; Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization; Kauai Climate Action Coalition; Our Children's Trust; 350Hawaii.org; Greenpeace Hawaii; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; Hawaiʻi Youth Transportation Council; Earthjustice; Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Taxation; Department of Education; and Hawaiʻi State Energy Office.

Your Committee finds that youth access to reliable public transit is essential for reaching school, employment, health services, and community activities, and that county and state programs provide inconsistent or limited support. Your Committee further finds that a universal subsidized youth transit program will reduce financial burdens for families, promote equitable mobility for disadvantaged and rural communities, and support the State's long‑term environmental and transportation goals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding definitions for "youth accompanying aide" and "youth with disabilities" and amending the definitions of "guardian" and "youth";

(2) Clarifying that only youth who are residents of the State are eligible for subsidized fares under the Subsidized Youth Transit Program;

(3) Expanding the Subsidized Youth Transit Program to all youth who are residents of the State, regardless of income, guardians, and youth accompanying aides, under certain conditions;

(4) Establishing prioritization requirements for subsidized fares if there is insufficient funds for all youth, guardians, and youth accompanying aides;

(5) Limiting subsidized fares for youth accompanying aides to one subsidized fare for each youth with disabilities for any ride;

(6) Changing the effective date for the allocation of monies from the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax to the Subsidized Youth Transit Program Special Fund to July 1, 2026; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1879, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1879, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair