Bill
GM 1313
Act 211 creates a temporary working group under DOT to assess and improve emergency evacuation procedures for Hawaii’s commercial harbors, focusing on Honolulu, including a mooring
GM1313 – Summary of Act 211 (HB1159, CD1, HD2, SD1)
Overview
- Proclamation date: June 25, 2025
- Legislature/Executive: Governor Josh Green, M.D., informs the Legislature that HB1159, HD2, SD1, CD1 was signed into law as Act 211.
- Subject: Commercial harbors emergency evacuation
- Purpose: Establish a temporary, focused working group to assess and improve emergency evacuation procedures for Hawaii’s commercial harbors, with emphasis on Honolulu harbor.
What Act 211 Establishes
- Creation of a commercial harbors emergency evacuation working group within the Department of Transportation (DOT) for administrative purposes.
Key Provisions and Requirements
1) Working group duties
- Review current federal and state laws related to emergency evacuation procedures for commercial harbors.
- Determine whether there is adequate mooring space in commercial harbors for all vessels if evacuation from Honolulu harbor is required; develop a comprehensive mooring plan.
- Review and evaluate whether current federal and state penalties are sufficient to ensure compliance with emergency evacuation orders for commercial harbors.
2) Membership and participation
- Chair: The Deputy Director of the Harbors Division (DOT) shall serve as chair.
- Members: Chairs of the Senate and House standing committees with transportation jurisdiction; United States Coast Guard captain of the port (Honolulu sector), invited by the chair; and users of the commercial harbors invited by the chair, including but not limited to transpacific ocean carriers, interisland carriers, Hawaii Longline Association, United Fishing Agency, cruise line operators, and tug and barge operators.
- Attendance: The chair may provide an option to attend meetings remotely.
3) Liaison and compensation
- Members serve without compensation; state employees may be reimbursed for necessary travel and related expenses.
- Participation subjects members to applicable ethics and employment statutes (Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 84).
4) Reporting and administration
- The group must submit findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the regular session in 2027.
- DOT shall provide administrative support, including stakeholder engagement, informational briefings, site visits, and report preparation.
5) Duration and sunset
- The working group is dissolved on June 30, 2027.
- Effective date: The act takes effect upon its approval.
Impact and context
- The act creates a structured process to evaluate and improve harbor evacuation readiness, with broad stakeholder involvement from state agencies, federal authorities (USCG), and harbor users.
- By developing a mooring plan and assessing penalties, the act aims to improve preparedness for potential emergency evacuations in commercial harbors, particularly Honolulu.
- The resulting report could inform future legislation or administrative actions beyond Act 211.
Effective date and status
- Act 211 took effect upon approval (June 25, 2025).
- GM1313 is a gubernatorial proclamation informing the Legislature of the enacted law.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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