Bill Text: HI SB1570 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Emergency Management.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-27 - Referred to PSM/TCA, WAM. [SB1570 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2025-SB1570-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
1570 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to emergency management.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
The legislature further finds that there has been urgent and growing concern regarding ongoing issues with Mokulele Airlines, including frequent delays and cancellations, which are forcing residents to resort to unsafe, makeshift transportation options. In one recent example, Mokulele Airlines grounded its fleet and operations on Molokai on January 15, 2025. As a result, one resident shared how she and others resorted to renting a boat at 4:00 a.m. to return home and transport medications to Molokai. The same boat later transported another resident with a punctured lung on a grueling three-hour trip to Honolulu for emergency care. Other residents resorted to renting boats to reach Maui, driving from Lahaina to Kahului, and paying additional money for Hawaiian Airlines flights to Honolulu, and repeated the process in reverse to return. School sports teams also endured three-hour boat rides to participate in tournaments on Oahu. These examples highlight the severity and unacceptability of the situation.
The legislature believes that Mokulele Airlines' unreliability and the lack of alternative air carrier options put lives and livelihoods at risk. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Require the governor to declare a state of emergency and use emergency powers if air transportation service is unavailable, or foreseeably unavailable, to and from the island of Molokai or Lanai for longer than twenty-four hours; and
(2) Require the department of transportation to plan and design an expansion of the runway at Molokai airport to accommodate larger aircraft.
SECTION 2. Section 127A-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§127A-14 State
of emergency. (a) The governor may declare the existence of a
state of emergency in the State by proclamation if the governor finds that an
emergency or a disaster has occurred or that there is imminent danger or threat
of an emergency or a disaster in any portion of the State.
(b) A mayor may declare
the existence of a local state of emergency in the county by proclamation if
the mayor finds that an emergency or a disaster has occurred or that there is
imminent danger or threat of an emergency or a disaster in any portion of the
county.
(c) [The] Except
as provided in subsection (e), the governor or mayor shall be the sole
judge of the existence of the danger, threat, or circumstances giving rise to a
declaration, an extension, or a termination of a state of emergency in the
State or a local state of emergency in the county, as applicable. This section shall not limit the power and
authority of the governor under section 127A-13(a)(5).
(d) A state of emergency and a local state of emergency shall terminate automatically sixty days after the issuance of a proclamation of a state of emergency or local state of emergency, respectively, unless extended or terminated by a separate or supplementary proclamation of the governor or mayor.
(e)
The governor shall declare by proclamation the existence of a state of
emergency in the State if air transportation service is unavailable, or
foreseeably unavailable, to and from the islands of Molokai or Lanai for longer
than twenty-four hours. The governor
shall reasonably exercise all available emergency powers, pursuant to this
chapter, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and other
federal agencies or officials, to ensure the availability of essential
transportation services, as determined by the governor, to impacted residents,
including:
(1) Activation and deployment of the Hawaii air national guard to provide essential air service;
(2) Use of private contractors to provide essential air service;
(3) Use of air carriers providing cargo service to and from Molokai and Lanai to provide essential passenger service; or
(4) If air service cannot be procured or completed, use of waterborne or maritime craft and carriers to ferry impacted residents."
SECTION 3. The department of transportation shall develop a plan and design to expand the runway at Molokai airport to accommodate the landing of larger aircraft. As part of the plan, the department shall identify and analyze the most efficient construction technologies available for expedient runway expansion.
The department of transportation shall
submit the plan and a report of its findings and recommendations, including any
proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the regular session of 2026.
SECTION 4. 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 2025-2026 for the planning and design of the expansion of the Molokai airport runway, pursuant to this Act.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Governor; DOT; Emergency Management; Emergency Powers; Essential Transportation Service; Essential Air Travel; Molokai; Lanai; Runway Expansion; Report to Legislature; Appropriation
Description:
Requires the Governor to declare a state of emergency and use emergency powers if air transportation service is unavailable, or foreseeably unavailable, to and from the island of Molokai or Lanai for longer than 24-hours. Requires the Department of Transportation to plan and design an expansion of the runway at Molokai airport to accommodate larger aircraft. Appropriates moneys.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
