STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3830

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 132

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.R. No. 132 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ADDRESS RAPIDLY ESCALATING COSTS OF TRANSPORTATION IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the convening of a task force to address how the State can lower the cost of transportation in Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office, Hawaii Bicycling League, and Hawaii Children's Action Networks Speaks! Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Transportation.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii transportation costs have risen twenty-three percent in the last twelve months, ranging from $8,000-$13,000 per individual. Insurance, maintenance, and gas prices contribute to these amounts and the lack of sufficient safe pedestrian and bike infrastructure means that many families require a separate motor vehicle per person. Therefore, this measure requests the convening of a task force to evaluate how the State can lower the cost of transportation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Updating findings relating to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report;

(2) Clarifying that the focus of the task force should be on issues within the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation;

(3) Adding the Chief Energy Officer and representatives of the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, AlohaCare, and the Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks! to the membership of the task force;

(4) Removing a member of the House of Representatives from the membership of the task force;

(5) Replacing mention of statistics regarding non-drivers with language describing the economic benefits of electric vehicles and electric public transportation;

(6) Adding the evaluation of current Department of Transportation priorities, processes, and outcomes as a task force requested duty;

(7) Amending its title accordingly; and

(8) 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.R. No. 132, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 132, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair