REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH A DEDICATED PANEL OF COMMISSIONERS TO OVERSEE MATTERS RELATED TO INTRASTATE WATER CARRIERS AND MARITIME COMMERCE.

SCR 23 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution requesting Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to create a dedicated panel of commissioners focused exclusively on regulating intrastate water carriers and maritime commerce. This panel would address the unique operational needs of Hawaii’s island-based supply chain - such as vessel safety, harbor operations, and emergency preparedness - currently managed alongside other utilities like electricity and gas. The resolution aims to improve regulatory effectiveness through specialized maritime expertise and better coordination with the Department of Transportation’s Harbors Division, without changing existing laws. It directly affects the PUC’s structure and oversight of maritime transportation, which moves essential goods like food, fuel, and medicine between Hawaiian islands.