Committee advances harbor-evacuation bill but orders task force after fisherfolk raise operational concerns

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts voted to pass House Bill 11-59 with amendments creating a task force to coordinate the measure with federal partners, harbor users and emergency-management officials.

The bill would make explicit harbor-master authority on the state (commercial-harbor) side to issue evacuation orders and require vessel operators in commercial harbors to follow those orders during emergencies; proponents said that enforceable orders would speed evacuations and reduce risk to cargo and life.

Why it matters: witnesses and members flagged operational questions about overlap with the U.S. Coast Guard, fuel range for small fishing vessels, availability of safe refuge ports on other islands, and whether state enforcement can or should require small-boat operators to “go out to sea.” The committee’s amendments create a task force and call for coordination with the Coast Guard before enforcement changes take effect.

Amber Ramirez of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency stood on written testimony in support and offered to coordinate. “The bill ensures a coordinated, swift response to protect lives, safeguard property, and minimize damage in our harbors,” she said, while deferring to written testimony for technical detail.

A longtime harbor user repeatedly pressed the committee on real-world problems during sudden evacuations: smaller vessels may lack fuel or the range to reach safe anchorages, moorings at some smaller harbors are fully allocated, and a sudden order to “evacuate” can leave community boat owners unable to comply.

Harbors officials told the committee the bill is intended to complement existing Coast Guard authority. “When those harbor masters give that order, in the past, they've not been followed, and there's really no enforcement that we could put on the state side. That's what the bill is trying to address here,” a harbors representative said.

Committee chair said the best next step is a task force with the Coast Guard and stakeholders to address practical logistics, notification protocols and exemptions for small-boat operations rather than immediate enforcement changes. The committee’s adopted motion advances the bill but adds a task force and outreach to fishing and small-boat communities to craft workable guidance and to coordinate with federal authorities.

What’s next: HB 11-59 passed the committee “to pass with amendments” and will move with the task-force directive for further consultation with the Coast Guard and harbor users. The committee asked for implementation details and communications plans before any enforcement authority is expanded.