STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1228

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 1535

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Director of Transportation to exempt certain ground transportation facility plans from historic preservation requirements and the environmental impact statement law, subject to certain conditions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i Bicycling League, and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that this measure will allow the Department of Transportation to more quickly address the needs of the public when state-funded infrastructure improvements are necessary to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, and people on other mobility devices.

Your Committee notes the comments of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development that the activities contemplated in this measure may already qualify for an exemption under the rules that govern chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS). Therefore, your Committee requests that your Committee on Water & Land, should it choose to deliberate on this measure, examine whether the exemptions to chapter 343, HRS, in this measure are needed.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair