STAND. COM. REP. NO. 504-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2454

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 Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2454 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Clarify eligibility and improve accountability for the use of Safe Routes to School funds;

(2) Repeal the position of Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator; and

(3) Repeal certain requirements for county Safe Routes to School programs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and seven individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiʻi Bicycling League; AARP Hawaii; Get Fit Kauaʻi; Ulupono Initiative; and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health; Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu; and Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice.

You Committee finds that traffic safety around the State's schools must be strengthened to enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school. Your Committee further finds that ensuring appropriate funding for projects is an important component of the Safe Routes to School Program. Act 212, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, established the Safe Routes to School Program vehicle registration surcharge to be deposited into the Safe Routes to School Special Fund to provide adequate funds for Safe Routes to School projects. As there is set to be an increase in the funding for these projects, your Committee believes that adjustments in the use Safe Routes to School funds are warranted to ensure that the funds are appropriately used.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Restoring the statutory language of the State and County Safe Routes to Schools Programs under section 291C-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Requiring the Department of Transportation to administer the Safe Routes to School Program (Program) and authorize the Department to plan, design, construct, implement, and administer safe routes to school projects;

(3) Authorizing eligible safe routes to school projects to be undertaken by the Department of Transportation, a county, or in partnership with other public agencies or schools;

(4) Authorizing the Department of Transportation to:

(A) Expend funds from the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund to implement the Program, including for staff labor and non-labor expenses and the central services assessment;

(B) Transfer funds from the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund to a county for the planning, design, construction, implementation, and administration of eligible Safe Routes to School Projects undertaken by the county;

(5) Establish deadlines for when funds from Safe Routes to School Special Fund that are allocated to the counties should be obligated or expended;

(6) Requiring funds from the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund that are allocated to a county and not obligated or expended by the established deadlines to revert to the Special Fund for reallocation by the Department of Transportation; 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2454, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2454, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair