SR 8 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RECOGNIZING INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY WEEK.

This resolution (SR 8) recognizes April 21-28, 2025, as International Dark Sky Week in Hawaii. It requests residents to support dark sky preservation and directs the Board of Land and Natural Resources to create a task force. The task force, including state officials, astronomers, tourism representatives, and federal agencies, will study light pollution reduction, energy conservation, wildlife protection, and strategies like dark sky parks. It does not create new laws but aims to guide future policy on preserving Hawaii’s natural night skies.

Issues: ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 31, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SR8 → SR8_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a standard Senate Resolution to a structured digital template with metadata, and substantive policy changes were added including the creation of a new task force to study light pollution. The task force will include representatives from state agencies, universities, and local governments, and will be required to submit a report by December 1, 2025 and 2026. The resolution now specifically requests the Board of Land and Natural Resources to convene this task force, expanding beyond the original resolution which only recognized International Dark Sky Week.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a simple recognition resolution to include actionable policy recommendations through a newly established task force with specific membership requirements and reporting deadlines.

REQUIREMENT

Creation of a new task force to study light pollution and dark skies, composed of representatives from state agencies, universities, and local governments

Specific list of task force members including Board Chair, Department Directors, University President, County Mayors, and federal agency representatives

Task force must evaluate nine specific issues including light pollution reduction, energy conservation, protected species, and astronomical observation impacts

TIMELINE

Task force required to submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2025 and 2026

TECHNICAL

Document reformatted from traditional legislative text to a structured digital template with metadata fields and standardized formatting

ENFORCEMENT

Transmission of certified copies expanded to include additional state officials beyond the Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from TCA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1630) with recommendation of adoption, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Apr 1, 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., Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on TCA has scheduled a public hearing on 03-25-25 3:20PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to TCA.

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Introduced

Offered.

upper

4 primary · 1 co-sponsor