Bill > SCR144

This Concurrent Resolution directs the Hawaii State Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a working group and several committees to develop and propose both state and county financial assistance, known as subsidies, and federal funding to support the transportation of goods by water. This action is based on the findings of a previous Water Carriers Working Group, which highlighted Hawaii's significant reliance on waterborne cargo for over ninety-eight percent of its imported goods and the lack of existing subsidies for general cargo transport, unlike other regions that have alternative shipping methods. The DOT is specifically tasked with consulting with federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration, Hawaii's congressional delegation, and state and county legislative bodies and transportation departments to create these subsidy programs and draft necessary legislation, with interim and final reports due to the Legislature in 2023 and 2024 respectively.