Bill > HB461

This bill aims to create a comprehensive Commuting Choice Benefit Program for all state employees in Hawaii that addresses current transportation inequities. The legislation recognizes that the state currently provides heavily subsidized parking (over 4,000 stalls across Hawaiian islands) at rates significantly lower than market prices, while offering no comparable benefits to employees who use alternative transportation methods like public transit, bicycling, walking, or carpooling. The bill requires the Director of Human Resources Development to develop a program that promotes sustainable and environmentally friendly commuting options, including: establishing volunteer employee transportation coordinators at each worksite, offering fully subsidized public transit and bikeshare passes integrated into employee badges, creating a parking opt-out program that provides financial incentives to employees who choose not to use a parking stall, and conducting educational outreach to encourage alternative transportation methods. The program's goals include reducing traffic congestion, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and providing more equitable transportation benefits to state employees. The director is required to submit a progress report to the legislature before the 2026 regular session, and the bill includes funding for implementing the program and creating new positions to administer it. By offering transportation benefits regardless of commuting mode, the bill seeks to provide more flexible and environmentally conscious commuting options for state employees.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Labor and Employment

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=461&year=2025