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Senate committee advances package of transportation and arts bills; most pass with amendments
Summary
The Senate Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts recommended passage of a broad set of transportation, taxation, parking and arts measures on Jan. 30; several bills were moved to Ways and Means with technical changes and some were deferred for further work.
The Senate Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts advanced a slate of measures during a joint hearing at the State Capitol Conference Room 224 on Jan. 30.
Chair Lee moved several bills forward with either committee amendments or as introduced. Measures recommended to pass with amendments included SB1480 (transportation road‑user charge authority), SB970 (tax credit for employer transit benefits), SB927 (airports/helicopter task force revisions) and SB1659 (Lahaina Bypass technical and boundary changes). SB1008 (parking program changes) and SB1088 (electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure) were recommended to pass unamended. Several bills were deferred for additional work or committee coordination.
Committee staff said many of the amendments were technical or intended to address agency comments; common changes included blanking appropriation amounts, adding defective or staggered effective dates, and adopting Department of Transportation (DOT) or Department of Taxation language to clarify definitions. For example, the committee adopted DOT language clarifying allowable uses of funds and added pedestrian pathways and sidewalks to eligible infrastructure spending under SB1480.
Where agencies raised legal or fiscal concerns the committee either requested further review by Ways and Means or retained the issue for follow-up: the Attorney General’s office flagged potential tax‑exempt bond issues related to the Works of Special Art Fund in legislation for the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, and DOTAX requested a sunset date and reporting changes for a transit employer credit proposal.
What the committee did (selected items): - SB1480 (transportation): Recommended to pass with amendments; chair asked Ways and Means to consider DOT’s and MPO comments and to clarify motor‑scooter insurance and eligible uses (moved to Ways and Means). - SB970 (taxation): Recommended to pass with amendments; committee expanded the credit to include bike‑share and noted DOTAX reporting and sunset concerns (moved to Ways and Means). - SB1008 (parking): Recommended to pass unamended (moved to JDC as applicable). - SB1088 (electric vehicle charging infrastructure): Recommended to pass unamended. - SB1011 (leadership awards program): Recommended to pass with amendments transferring program administration and archival responsibilities to the State Archives. - SB441 (Hawaii Symphony Orchestra): Recommended to pass as introduced and moved to Ways and Means.
Next steps: Most bills moved to Ways and Means for fiscal review or to other referenced committees for technical follow-up; where committee members requested changes they recorded reservations to be noted in committee reports. Several measures were deferred for future study or drafting changes.
The committee concluded its decision‑making docket and adjourned after thanking staff and counsel. The full list of committee recommendations and specific amendment language will appear in the committee reports as the bills move through the legislative process.
