Bill > HR180

This Resolution requests the Hawaii State Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a working group and several committees to develop and propose financial assistance, known as subsidies, from federal, state, and county governments for 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 eighty percent of its imported goods and the high cost associated with this transport. The resolution aims to address the lack of existing subsidies for general cargo transport, unlike those available for agriculture or remote air cargo, by recommending a broad subsidy program to potentially lower the cost of goods for consumers. The DOT is specifically tasked with consulting with federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration and Hawaii's Congressional Delegation to establish federal programs, and with state and county legislative bodies and transportation departments to create local subsidy programs, with interim and final reports due to the Legislature in 2023 and 2024 respectively.