STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3773

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 142

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 142 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ESTABLISH A SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL ADVISORY GROUP TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Transportation to establish a safe routes to school advisory group to develop a comprehensive statewide safe routes to school strategic plan.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Aloha Care, Ulupono Initiative, Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, American Heart Association, and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Transportation. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that transforming Hawaii's surface transportation systems and infrastructure to enable students to safely and comfortably walk and bike to school is critical to public health and safety. However, due to decades of motor vehicle centered planning and development, there are formidable barriers to safe commuting that result in significant danger to students and others. Because every child deserves to be able to walk, roll, bike, or bus to school in a safe way, this resolution urges the Department of Transportation to develop a comprehensive statewide safe routes to school strategic plan.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing the physical activity and nutrition coordinator and the school wellness coordinator in the advisory group with a Director of Health designee having expertise on state physical activity strategies and a Director of Health designee having expertise on state school health strategies;

(2) Adding one member of the Senate and one member of the House of Representatives to the advisory group;

(3) Clarifying that the advisory group may elect its own chair;

(4) Clarifying that the advisory group has the ability to invite other members;

(5) Adding a representatives from Aloha Care as a member of the advisory group;

(6) Replacing the Department of Transportation with the Governor of Hawaii as the entity requested to establish the Safe Routes to School Advisory Group;

(7) Replacing the Safe Routes to School Coordinator with the Chairperson as the entity who shall invite other representatives to be members;

(8) Clarifying that the Senate and House of Representatives members are to be from the respective standing committees with jurisdiction over transportation;

(9) Amending its title accordingly; and

    (10) 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 that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 142, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 142, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair