STAND. COM. REP. NO. 621

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1244

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 1244 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ROADS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow for a percentage of general excise and fuel taxes generated by the counties to be used for maintenance of private roadways that are open to the public.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two members of the Hawaiʻi County Council and four individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that there are privately-owned roadways throughout the State that are available for use by the general public. These roadways may be damaged by public use, causing the owners of the roadways to have to pay for maintenance that was not directly caused by their own activity or the activity of their invited guests. This measure will address this issue by allowing for a percentage of general excise and fuel taxes generated by the counties to be used for maintenance of privately-owned roadways that are used by the general public.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting legislative findings; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1244, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1244, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair