HB2034 • 2026

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Budget Labor

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: KILA, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, ILAGAN, KAHALOA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MARTEN, OLDS, POEPOE, REYES ODA, TAKENOUCHI, TEMPLO
Last action: 2026-02-10
Official status: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on LAB with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the number of employees who will receive free transit passes or any specific reporting requirements.

Transportation Bill: Pilot Program for Free Transit Passes

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to create a pilot program offering fully subsidized public transit passes to its employees, funded by state money.

What This Bill Does

Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Transportation to establish a pilot program to offer fully subsidized public transit passes as a benefit option for all department employees.
Funds this pilot program with state money for fiscal year 2026-2027.
Requires the Department of Transportation to integrate these transit passes into employee badges in accordance with existing programs.

Who It Names or Affects

Department of Transportation employees who will receive fully subsidized public transit passes through the pilot program.
The Department of Transportation which must run and fund this program with state money.

Terms To Know

Pilot Program: A small-scale test to see if a new idea works before making it bigger.
Fully Subsidized: Paid for entirely by the government or another organization, so people do not pay anything.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how many employees will receive free transit passes.
It is unclear if other state agencies besides the Department of Transportation will offer similar benefits to their employees.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Transportation to create a one-year pilot program offering fully subsidized public transit passes to its employees, with funding provided from state revenues.

The Department of Transportation must establish a one-year pilot program for fully subsidized public transit passes for all department employees.
A report on the findings and recommendations related to this pilot program must be submitted to the legislature before the regular session in 2027.
$150,000 is appropriated from general revenues and the state highway fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the pilot program.

The effective date of July 1, 3000, seems incorrect or symbolic and may need clarification.
Details on how the transit passes will be integrated into employee badges are not provided in the amendment text.

Bill History

2026-02-10 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on LAB with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-10 H
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 129-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.
2026-02-05 H
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Cochran, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-03 H
Bill scheduled for decision making on Thursday, 02-05-26 9:30AM in conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-03 H
The committee(s) on TRN recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-05-26 9:30AM.
2026-01-30 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by TRN on Tuesday, 02-03-26 10:30AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to TRN, LAB, FIN, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.
DOT; Public Transit Passes; Department Employees; Pilot Program; Appropriation ($)
Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Transportation to establish a pilot program to offer fully subsidized public transit passes for department employees. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2034

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2034

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to transportation
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that ground
transportation makes up thirty-eight per cent of transportation emissions in
the State and light-duty vehicles make up eighty-five per cent of those
emissions.
�
The legislature recognizes
that reducing vehicle miles traveled by commuters will be a key component to
meeting the State's decarbonization goals and legal requirements outlined in
the
Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation
, which can be
achieved by promoting the use of public transit.

����
The legislature further finds that
state employees have limited commuter benefits.
�
In 2024, the house of representatives adopted
House Resolution No. 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.
�
Currently, the only transportation benefit 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.
�
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.

����
The legislature also finds that o
pting
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.
�
Additionally, active modes of transportation
can enhance quality of life, health, and wellbeing through physical activity.

����
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.

����
The legislature notes that other
jurisdictions such as Redmond, Washington and Nashville, Tennessee have
successfully implemented free public transportation options for government
employees.
�
These jurisdictions have also
reported increased employee retention and decreased tardiness or absences upon
participating in the commuter benefits program.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to require and appropriate funds for the department of transportation to
establish a pilot program to offer fully subsidized transit passes for department
employees.

����
SECTION
2.
�
The department of transportation
shall, in coordination with each county's transportation agency or department,
establish a pilot program to offer fully subsidized public transit passes as a
benefit option for all department of transportation employees.
�
The public transit passes shall be integrated
into department employee badges in accordance with existing transit pass
badging programs.

����
SECTION
3.
�
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 2026-2027 for the department of
transportation to establish a pilot program to offer fully subsidized public
transit passes as a benefit option for department employees.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the
purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOT;
Public Transit Passes; Department Employees; Pilot Program; Appropriation

Description:

Requires
and appropriates funds for the Department of Transportation to establish a
pilot program to offer fully subsidized public transit passes for department
employees.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.