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SB 1244 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO ROADS.

Summary
Allows for a percentage of general excise and fuel taxes generated by the counties to be used for maintenance of private roadways that are open to the public. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill reallocates existing fuel and excise tax revenue for publicly accessible road maintenance, directly funding infrastructure through tax allocation.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationAllows tax revenue allocation for private roadway maintenance, directly funding transportation infrastructure upkeep per bill summary.95% confidence
Sub-Topics: Transportation Funding Roads & Highways
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Feb 14, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB1244 → SB1244_SD1 · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill fundamentally changes how Hawaii counties can use fuel and general excise tax revenues. It expands the ability of counties to use surcharge revenues for maintaining privately-owned roadways that are open to public use, which was previously restricted. The bill also updates the expiration dates for existing surcharges and clarifies how different sized counties must allocate their transportation funding.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of allowable uses for county surcharge revenues to explicitly include maintenance of privately-owned roadways that are open to and used by the public, and updates the timeline for when counties can establish or extend these surcharges.
SCOPE

Added explicit authority for counties to use surcharge revenues for maintenance of privately-owned roadways that are open to and used by the public, which was not clearly authorized in the original version.

TIMELINE

Changed the deadline for adopting surcharge ordinances from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2025, and extended the expiration date for existing surcharges from December 31, 2030 to December 31, 2030 (no change) while adding new provisions for counties that haven't established surcharges before July 1, 2015.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified eligibility criteria for counties to establish surcharges, with different rules for counties with populations over 500,000 versus those with 500,000 or fewer residents.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'capital costs' and 'housing infrastructure costs' to clarify what expenses can be funded with surcharge revenues.

FISCAL

Modified the allocation requirements for counties with populations over 500,000 to require that surcharge revenues be used for capital costs of locally preferred mass transit alternatives rather than general road maintenance.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
2
Committee
5
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
Reported from TCA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 621) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
upper
Feb 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on TCA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TCA were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Elefante, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Inouye ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on TCA has scheduled a public hearing on 02-11-25 3:01PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
upper
Jan 28, 2025
Committee
Re-Referred to TCA, WAM.
upper
Jan 27, 2025
Committee
Referred to EIG/TCA, WAM.
upper
Jan 23, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and passed First Reading.
upper
Jan 21, 2025
Introduced
Pending Introduction.
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Joy San Buenaventura
Joy San Buenaventura
DDemocratic
HI
2