STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1878

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 121

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 121 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES ARMY, UNITED STATES NAVY, AND STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK WITH APPROPRIATE STATE AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO EXPAND, PLAN, AND COORDINATE WORK RELATED TO USING KOLEKOLE PASS AS AN EXPANDED EMERGENCY EXIT ROUTE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the United States Department of Defense, United States Army, United States Navy, and State Department of Transportation to work with appropriate state and county departments and agencies to expand, plan, and coordinate work related to using Kolekole Pass as an expanded emergency exit route.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Hawaii Military Affairs Council, and five individuals.

Your Committees find that Kolekole Pass in the Waianae mountain range, which has historically been used for military operations, forms a corridor that could potentially serve as an evacuation route for neighboring civilian communities in the event of dangerous gridlocks, natural disasters, or unforeseen catastrophic emergencies. Relevant Oahu-based military agencies and state and county level emergency management agencies currently have a memorandum of understanding in place that establishes procedures for emergency vehicle access only through Kolekole Pass during extraordinary emergency circumstances with the discretion of commanders. However, the pass is not currently open to the public in the event of an emergency evacuation. Accordingly, this measure requests federal defense agencies and the Hawaii State Department of Transportation to cooperate with appropriate state and county entities to prepare and secure Kolekole Pass as an expanded emergency exit route for residents of the west side of Oahu.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Transportation and Culture and the Arts that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 121, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 121, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair

________________________________ BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair