HCR127 • 2026

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COLLABORATE TO ESTABLISH A STATE HIGHWAY POLICE FORCE.

Active

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

Sponsor: KILA, MIYAKE, POEPOE
Last action: 2026-04-10
Official status: Referred to TRS/PSM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COLLABORATE TO ESTABLISH A STATE HIGHWAY POLICE FORCE.

What This Bill Does

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COLLABORATE TO ESTABLISH A STATE HIGHWAY POLICE FORCE.
Department of Transportation; Department of Law Enforcement; State Highway Police

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-10 S
Referred to TRS/PSM.
2026-04-10 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 571).
2026-04-09 H
Transmitted to Senate.
2026-04-09 H
Adopted with Representative(s) Gedeon, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Iwamoto, Muraoka voting no (4) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).
2026-04-09 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1874-26), recommending adoption.
2026-04-07 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama, Cochran.
2026-04-02 H
Resolution scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 04-07-26 2:00PM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-04-02 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Cochran, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka voting no (2) and none excused (0).
2026-04-02 H
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1682-26), recommending referral to JHA.
2026-03-31 H
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Cochran; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Muraoka; and Excused: none.
2026-03-27 H
Resolution scheduled to be heard by TRN on Tuesday, 03-31-26 10:00AM in conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-18 H
Referred to TRN, JHA, referral sheet 19
2026-03-16 H
Offered

Official Summary Text

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COLLABORATE TO ESTABLISH A STATE HIGHWAY POLICE FORCE.
Department of Transportation; Department of Law Enforcement; State Highway Police

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HCR127

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

127

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the department of transportation and
department of law enforcement to collaborate to establish a state highway
police force
.

����
WHEREAS, Hawaii's
roadways have become increasingly dangerous, particularly during the previous
year; and

����
WHEREAS, an
alarming increase in pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities, especially on Oahu,
pushed the total number of deaths in 2025 on the State's roadways to 129, which
is more than a twenty percent increase over the number of deaths in 2024 and
the highest number since 2007; and

����
WHEREAS, safety
on Hawaii's roads could improve with greater enforcement of traffic laws and
better transportation planning; and

����
WHEREAS, county
police departments are primarily responsible for enforcing traffic laws on the
State's roadways; and

����
WHEREAS, the
establishment of a state highway police force could supplement the efforts of
county police departments; and

����
WHEREAS, collaboration
between the Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement to
establish a state highway police force has the potential to significantly
improve traffic safety on Hawaii's roadways by combining expertise, resources,
and enforcement authority to address traffic challenges more comprehensively
and effectively; and

����
WHEREAS, a state
highway police force would allow for integrated strategies that blend
transportation's emphasis on infrastructure and traffic management with law
enforcement's focus on compliance and deterrence; and

����
WHEREAS, a state
highway police force could be specially trained and equipped to handle
incidents on highways, ensuring rapid clearance of crashes and minimizing
secondary accidents caused by congestion or confusion; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the
State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the
Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement are requested to
collaborate to establish a state highway police force; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the
Director of Transportation and Director of Law Enforcement.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
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Department
of Transportation; Department of Law Enforcement; State Highway Police