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SB2994
THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
2994
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to public transit
.
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 the use of
public transit has social, environmental, and economic benefits.
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Public transit provides access to education, employment,
and community activities.
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The
legislature further finds that public transit is especially critical for individuals
without driver's licenses or functional vehicles or for individuals who cannot
afford to pay for gas, parking, and insurance.
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This segment of the population includes residents who are low-income,
disabled, or too young to drive.
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The
legislature additionally finds that public transit plays a crucial role in
Hawaii's transition away from fossil fuels for transportation as the bus fleet
becomes electrified and powered by renewable energy.
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Furthermore, the legislature finds that the use
of public transit reduces traffic congestion and the demand for parking, thereby
decreasing costs for many businesses and increasing access for customers.
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Moreover,
the legislature finds that making bus service free to youth increases equitable
access to mobility today while developing habits and knowledge that may dispose
youth to continue using public transit as adults.
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Families traveling with children who
previously may have determined that private vehicle travel was more economical
than the purchase of multiple transit fares would, under this Act, experience a
reduction in total transportation costs, as eligible children would be
permitted to use public transit services without charge.
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Fewer private vehicles on the road will help
move the State toward its zero-emissions transportation goals, reduce transit
time for all road users, and require less land devoted to parking.
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In
addition, the legislature finds that there are already various free or
discounted fares for children and youth in each county of the State.
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Free bus service for individuals under the
age of twenty-five on Maui and free bus service for all riders on Hawaii island
have increased ridership on those islands.
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The city and county of Honolulu and county of Kauai do not charge riders
under six and seven years old, respectively, and offer reduced fares for
passengers up to the age of nineteen and eighteen, respectively.
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The
legislature also finds that the department of education is already spending
$1,890,000 this year for 6,208 middle and high school students on Oahu and ninety-nine
students on Kauai to use the public bus instead of a school bus due to
shortages of school bus drivers.
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The
department of education and the city and county of Honolulu and county of Kauai
already have systems in place to distribute and manage bus passes through
school administrations and for the counties to charge only for the number of
passes actually used.
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To reduce the
administrative burden on the counties, it is proposed that these systems
continue to be used.
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However, for the
purposes of this pilot program, the passes would be usable year-round rather
than just during the school year.
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In
addition, comparable systems would be established with public charter schools
and private schools.
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Age-eligible youth who
do not attend school would also be able to acquire passes directly from public
transit offices by providing proof of age and residency.
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Therefore,
the purpose of this Act is to establish a two-year pilot program to extend
fare-free county transit services to all children from birth through eighteen
years of age.
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SECTION 2.
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(a)
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As
used in this Act:
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"Child"
or "children" means an individual:
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(1)
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From birth up to, but not including, nineteen
years of age; and
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(2)
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Who is a resident of Hawaii.
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"County
transit service" means a public bus or rail service, operated by or on
behalf of a county in the State.
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"Keiki"
means child or children.
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(b)
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The department of transportation, in
coordination with the counties, shall establish a two-year keiki fare-free
transit pilot program to expand fare-free county transit services to children
in counties that currently charge these children a fare.
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(c)
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Fare-free access to county transit services
for children, as defined in this Act, shall be deemed a privilege and not a
right.
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This privilege may be suspended
or revoked for cause if a rider engages in conduct that endangers the safety of
others or reasonably causes other passengers or transit personnel to feel
unsafe while the rider is using county transit services.
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(d)
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The department of transportation shall
coordinate with the counties to evaluate the pilot program's:
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(1)
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Impact on ridership, costs, and transportation
equity for disadvantaged and rural communities; and
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(2)
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Alignment with state environmental goals.
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(e)
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If the department of transportation's
evaluation justifies continuation of the keiki fare-free transit pilot program and
its expansion statewide, the department shall propose a sustainable revenue
source to continue the program beyond the end of the pilot program and expand
the program statewide.
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SECTION 3.
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No later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the regular session of 2029, the department of transportation
shall submit a report to the legislature regarding the pilot program's
implementation, including data on ridership; costs; administrative issues; and
recommendations for continuation or modification of the program, or both, or
discontinuation.
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If the department's
recommendation is to continue the keiki fare-free transit pilot program and to
expand the program statewide, the report shall also include recommendations for
a sustainable funding source to support the program.
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SECTION
4.
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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 2026-2027 for the department of
transportation, in coordination with the city and county of Honolulu and county
of Kauai, to:
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(1)
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Provide fare-free county transit service for
all children, as defined in this Act; and
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(2)
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Cover necessary administrative and program
evaluation costs associated with the implementation and operation of the keiki
fare-free transit pilot program.
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The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the
purposes of this Act.
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SECTION 5.
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The appropriation made by this Act shall
not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made;
provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30,
2028, shall lapse as of that date.
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SECTION 6.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1,
2026; provided that section 2 of this Act shall be repealed on June 30, 2028.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Public
Transit; Keiki Fare-free Transit Pilot Program; Department of Transportation; Oahu
and Kauai; Appropriation
Description:
Establishes
a two-year Keiki Fare-Free Transit Pilot Program on Oahu and Kauai.
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Appropriates funds.
The summary description
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.