STAND. COM. REP. NO. 142

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 157

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committees on Housing and Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 157 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to transfer the public roads of the Villages of Kapolei to the City and County of Honolulu by January 1, 2026; and

(2) Authorize county police officers to enforce the statewide traffic code on all public streets, roadways, and highways within the State.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; one member of the Honolulu City Council; Villages of Kapolei Association; and four individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committees find that the transfer of roads within the Villages of Kapolei to the City and County of Honolulu have been delayed for years due to the City and County of Honolulu establishing certain requirements to accept the dedication of the roads. This delay has left many residents of the Villages of Kapolei uncertain regarding who is responsible for maintenance, repairs, and overall infrastructure management. This measure will resolve a decades old problem for residents of the Villages of Kapolei by requiring the public roads to be transferred no later than January 1, 2026.

Your Committees have requested a formal opinion from the Department of the Attorney General seeking advice on the legality of requiring the City and County of Honolulu to accept the terms of the transfer. Your Committees will continue to work with stakeholders to address any potential legal concerns as this measure moves through the legislative process.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

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

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Transportation that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 157, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 157, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Transportation,

____________________________ DARIUS KILA, Chair

____________________________ LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair