STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1856

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.C.R. No. 150

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 150 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ESTABLISH AN AIR SERVICE TASK FORCE TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING COMMERCIAL AIR TRAVEL TO AND FROM MOLOKAI,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that the Department of Transportation establish an air service task force to provide recommendations for improving commercial air travel to and from Molokai.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and one individual.

Your Committee finds that only one commercial airline currently provides air transport services to Molokai. Due to transportation services becoming increasingly unreliable with flights frequently being cancelled at the last minute, residents of Molokai lack sufficient access to emergency medical care. Your Committee therefore finds that the establishment of a task force to provide recommendations related to this issue will help in establishing more reliable and frequent air travel for these residents.

Your Committee further finds that residents of Lana‘i face the same barriers to air travel as those in Molokai and would benefit from Lana‘i being included in the recommendations of the task force.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding Lana‘i as an additional location for which the task force is requested to provide recommendations and adding additional findings related to Lana‘i;

(2) Clarifying that the task force may consult with and invite to serve as members of the task force, representatives from any relevant agencies and organizations, and any resource persons;

(3) Removing the President of Molokai General Hospital from the list of persons to whom this measure is to be transmitted;

(4) Changing its title to reflect its amended purpose; and

(5) 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 Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 150, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 150, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair