STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2191-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.C.R. No. 58

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 58, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DIVISION OF BOATING AND OCEAN RECREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO DEVELOP A PROGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR PARKING VIOLATIONS IN PARKING LOTS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION; ENSURE PROPER USE OF PARKING AREAS BY INTENDED USERS; AND IMPROVE THE PREVALENCE AND CLARITY OF SIGNAGE REGARDING PARKING REGULATIONS, FEES, AND PENALTIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation of the Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop and implement a progressive enforcement framework for parking violations in parking lots under the Division's jurisdiction, including the provision of clear warnings for parking violations, before resorting to towing vehicles that are in violation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Save Surf Parking Coalition; Free Access Coalition; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and one individual.

Your Committee finds that there are currently sixteen small boat harbors across the State under the jurisdiction of the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), along with corresponding parking areas within each small boat harbor. Parking areas at Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and Maalaea Small Boat Harbor are managed under respective parking concessions, with certain parking users assessed parking fees. Although towing may be the most efficient enforcement mechanism in parking lots under DOBOR's jurisdiction, towing may cause detrimental effects to the vehicle owner or operator for relatively minor violations in certain instances. Your Committee further finds that the Board of Land and Natural Resources has already approved the use of License Plate Recognition technology for Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and DOBOR is currently implementing a parking-monitoring contract with the parking concessionaire to use License Plate Recognition technology. Your Committee also finds that other state agencies, including the Department of Accounting and General Services, have deputized members of their respective staffs to provide vehicular citations in lieu of relying on contracts for towing.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee encourages the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources to amend parking-concession contracts, as needed, to establish a citation-based enforcement system by authorizing the parking-management concessionaire to issue parking fines for minor parking violations as part of a progressive enforcement framework, with fines set at affordable amounts consistent with comparable Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department traffic violation penalties.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 58, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 58, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair