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HB1302
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1302
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to transportation demand management
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION 1.
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The legislature finds that ground
transportation makes up thirty-eight per cent of transportation emissions in
the State and light-duty vehicles make up eight-five per cent of those
emissions.
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A key component to meeting
the State's decarbonization goals will be the reduction of vehicle miles
traveled by commuters, which can be done through several mechanisms, including
the promotion of walking, biking, public transit, and carpooling.
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The legislature further finds that
state employees have limited commuter benefits.
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In 2024, the legislature adopted House
Resolution 191, Regular Session of 2024, which urged the department of
accounting and general services and department of human resources development
to evaluate subsidizing public transit for public employees.
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Currently, the only transportation benefits
the State offers is a pre-tax deduction of a state employee's paycheck to
purchase a transit pass or pay for parking as allowed by the Internal Revenue
Service.
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The State indirectly subsidizes
employee parking stalls in downtown Honolulu on average between $130 to $238 a
month, and provides no subsidy for employees using public transit, carpooling,
walking, biking, and other modes of transportation that reduce transportation
emissions.
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Opting for public transit and active
modes of transportation over private vehicles for commutes can help employees
save money on fuel, insurance, parking, and vehicle maintenance costs, which
can also help reduce the cost of living.
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Additionally, active modes of transportation can enhance quality of
life, health, and wellbeing through physical activity.
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The legislature also finds that
state employee focus groups conducted in July and August of 2024 by the Oahu metropolitan
planning organization revealed that fifty-four per cent of respondents would
ride public transit to work if public transit passes were fully subsidized or
discounted and forty-eight per cent of respondents stated they would walk, ride
a bike, or scooter to work with a financial incentive.
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The focus group also revealed that thirty per
cent of respondents were not aware they could pay for a transit pass using
pre-tax deductions.
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The legislature notes that other
jurisdictions such as Redmond, Washington, have implemented a transportation
demand management program aimed at reducing vehicle miles traveled and
improving employee transportation benefits and have reported increased employee
retention and decreased tardiness or absences upon participating in the
commuter benefits program.
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Parking
opt-out programs allow state employees to forgo a parking stall and use active
or shared modes of transportation to commute to work in exchange for a
financial incentive.
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These programs have
been shown to reduce employee vehicle miles traveled by as much as twelve per
cent.
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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to require the department of human resources development to create and
implement a comprehensive transportation demand management program for all state
employees with the goal of reducing vehicle emissions and single occupancy
vehicle commutes.
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SECTION 2.
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Chapter 78, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:
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"
�78-
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Transportation
demand management program; public transit passes; bikeshare passes; parking
optout.
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(a)
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The department of human resources development shall develop and
implement a comprehensive transportation demand management program.
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The program shall a
dminister, promote,
and conduct education and outreach of state employee transportation benefits
and encourage the use of healthy, economical, and environmentally sustainable
commuting modes of transportation and discourage the use of single-occupant
vehicle commuting.
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(b)
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Each state department and its agencies shall
establish a volunteer employee transportation coordinator at each physical
worksite of the department or agency.
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The department of human resources development, in collaboration with the
Oahu metropolitan planning organization, shall work with the volunteer employee
transportation coordinator to hold monthly meetings to assist with the
distribution of educational and marketing materials and provide guidance on
encouraging employees to participate in the transportation demand management
program.
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(c)
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The department of human resources development
shall offer fully subsidized public transit passes and bikeshare passes as a
benefit option to all public employees.
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The public transit and bikeshare passes shall be integrated into public
employee badges and shall be in accordance with existing transit pass badging
programs.
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(d)
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The department of human resources development
shall, in coordination with the department of accounting and general services,
develop a parking opt-out program to allow all public employees to opt out of a
parking stall to receive a financial incentive.
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SECTION
3.
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There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the
transportation demand management program established pursuant to section 2 of
this Act, including the hiring of:
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(1)
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One permanent full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE)
position within the department of human resources development to administer and
promote the program; and
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(2)
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One permanent full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE)
position within the Oahu metropolitan planning organization to assist the
position under paragraph (1) with the program.
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The sums
appropriated shall be expended by the
department of human resources development for the purposes of this Act.
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SECTION
4.
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New statutory material is
underscored.
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SECTION 5.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
DHRD;
Transportation Demand Management Program; Public Transit Passes; Bikeshare
Passes; Opt-out of Parking; Appropriation
Description:
Requires
the Department of Human Resources Development, in collaboration with various
state and county agencies, to establish a Transportation Demand Management Program.
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Appropriates funds.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.