HR117 • 2026

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COORDINATE WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS.

Active

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

Sponsor: KILA, AMATO, BELATTI, IWAMOTO, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, MURAOKA, PERRUSO, POEPOE
Last action: 2026-04-09
Official status: Resolution adopted in final form.
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 TO COORDINATE WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS.

What This Bill Does

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COORDINATE WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS.
Department of Transportation; Utility Poles and Lines; Infrastructure; Comprehensive Statewide Plan

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.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: HR117 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.R.

HR117 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.R.
NO.
117 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COORDINATE WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS.

Bill History

2026-04-09 H
Resolution adopted in final form.
2026-04-09 H
Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).
2026-04-09 H
Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1869-26), recommending adoption.
2026-04-07 H
The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Grandinetti, Chun, Iwamoto, Lowen, Marten, Tam, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Kong; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Ilagan, Ichiyama.
2026-04-02 H
Resolution scheduled to be heard by CPC on Tuesday, 04-07-26 2:00PM in conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-04-02 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on CPC as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-04-02 H
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1689-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to CPC.
2026-03-31 H
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica, Cochran, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; 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, CPC, referral sheet 19
2026-03-16 H
Offered

Official Summary Text

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COORDINATE WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS.
Department of Transportation; Utility Poles and Lines; Infrastructure; Comprehensive Statewide Plan

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HR117

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

117

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COORDINATE
WITH UTILITY PROVIDERS OPERATING WITHIN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DEVELOP
A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PLAN AND SCHEDULE TO ADDRESS DERELICT OR AGING
UTILITY POLES AND LINES ALONG FARRINGTON HIGHWAY AND OTHER HIGH-RISK CORRIDORS
.

����
WHEREAS, public
safety along state highways is of paramount importance, particularly in
coastal, high-wind, and heavily traveled corridors; and

����
WHEREAS, aging,
damaged, or derelict utility poles and overhead lines located within state
highway rights-of-way may pose safety hazards to motorists, pedestrians,
bicyclists, and nearby residents; and

����
WHEREAS, Farrington
Highway serves as a major transportation artery for the Leeward Coast of Oahu
and has experienced incidents involving downed or deteriorated utility
infrastructure, raising concerns regarding resilience, safety, and emergency
access; and

����
WHEREAS, similar
conditions may exist along other high-risk state highway corridors that are
vulnerable to severe weather events, coastal erosion, traffic impacts, or
deferred maintenance; and

����
WHEREAS, the
Department of Transportation plays a critical role in coordinating
infrastructure planning and maintenance activities within those corridors; and

����
WHEREAS, utility
providers operate infrastructure within state highway rights-of-way pursuant to
permits, easements, or other agreements and share responsibility for the
maintenance, repair, and replacement of their infrastructure; and

����
WHEREAS, a
coordinated, data-driven, and phased statewide to address this aging
infrastructure plan could improve public safety, enhance infrastructure
resilience, clarify maintenance responsibilities, and better align capital
improvement schedules among state and private stakeholders; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the
State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Department of Transportation
is requested to coordinate with utility providers operating within state
highway rights-of-way to develop a comprehensive statewide plan and schedule to
address derelict or aging utility poles and lines along Farrington Highway and
other high-risk corridors; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to:

����
(1)
�
Convene relevant utility providers to conduct
a coordinated assessment of derelict, inactive, or aging infrastructure;

����
(2)
�
Develop a comprehensive removal, repair, or
remediation schedule;

����
(3)
�
Prioritize corridors with elevated wildfire
risk, high traffic volumes, or proximity to residential communities;

����
(4)
�
Establish a standardized notification and
coordination process for unsafe or abandoned infrastructure;

����
(5)
�
Identify funding responsibilities and cost
allocation mechanisms; and

����
(6)
�
Evaluate whether existing statutes or
franchise agreements sufficiently define maintenance and removal obligations
for inactive utility infrastructure within state highway rights-of-way; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit a report
detailing identified infrastructure, remediation schedules, responsible
entities, and any statutory or regulatory barriers, including any proposed
legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Director of Transportation.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

Department
of Transportation; Utility Poles and Lines; Infrastructure; Comprehensive
Statewide Plan