STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1826-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 3154

S.D. 2

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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3154, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Transportation to assume responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for highway projects, as well as railroad, public transportation, or multimodal projects within the State, allowing streamlined environmental reviews; and

(2) Provide a limited waiver of sovereign immunity to comply with federal requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaiʻi. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that authorizing the Department of Transportation to participate in the federal National Environmental Policy Act Assignment Program, which allows participating state transportation departments to assume certain federal environmental review responsibilities, will improve the State's ability to more efficiently implement transportation infrastructure projects while maintaining environmental safeguards.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3154, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3154, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair