COMMENDATIONS: Commends Jackie and Melvin Harvey, Jr., on being named Tree Farmers of the Year for their commitment and dedication to practicing sustainable forestry

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Roy Adams

HCR 43 asks Hawaii DOT and DLE to study a statewide highway patrol and automated speed enforcement on major highways, weighing safety, resources, and potential court impacts.

Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.

Summary — HCR 43 (Concurrent Resolution)

Status: Introduced January 13, 2025. Concurrent resolution requesting a study; final procedural step recorded as "taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State."
Primary subject: Department of Transportation (DOT); Department of Law Enforcement (DLE); speeding, traffic safety, highway patrol, automated speed enforcement.

Main purpose / intent

HCR 43 directs and requests Hawaii’s Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement to study the feasibility of creating a highway patrol and installing automated speed‑enforcement systems (speed cameras) on major freeways and highways in primary speeding areas. The study is to examine operational, safety, and court‑impact considerations to inform any future policy decisions.

Key provisions

Requests DOT and DLE to conduct a study on:

The possibility of establishing a highway patrol (statewide enforcement capacity).
The possibility of installing automated speed enforcement (speed cameras) along major freeways and highways in identified high‑speed areas.
The potential impact of those measures on district courts (noted explicitly in the HD1 version).

Cites the rationale: rising congestion and speeding, speeding as the most common contributing factor in motor vehicle fatalities, and limits of many local law enforcement agencies’ resources.

Notes examples from other states where interagency collaboration and automated enforcement have been used to maximize limited enforcement resources.

Directs that certified copies of the Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Directors of DLE and DOT.

Who would be affected

Primary: Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement (charged with producing the study and any recommendations).

Secondary: motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, local law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary (district courts), since implementation could change enforcement practices and court caseloads.

Broader stakeholders: road‑safety advocates, engineering units, municipal governments, and communities located near major highways.

Potential impacts (if study leads to implementation)

Improved traffic‑safety planning and potentially reduced speeding‑related crashes if enforcement measures are adopted.

Shift of enforcement responsibilities toward state agencies (potentially easing burdens on smaller local departments).

Possible increase in automated citations and associated administrative and judicial workload; changes to court procedures or caseloads.

Policy questions about privacy, civil‑liberties safeguards, signage, fine structures, and revenue use would likely arise in subsequent proposals.

Procedural / timeline notes

HCR 43 is a non‑binding concurrent resolution requesting a study (it does not itself create or fund programs).

The resolution (HD1) adds explicit direction to consider effects on district courts.

Certified copies are to be transmitted to the Directors of DOT and DLE for their consideration and action.

Note: The submitted document package includes unrelated text (other resolutions and commendations). This summary focuses on the HCR 43 text requesting the DOT/DLE study of highway patrol and automated speed enforcement.