| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that ground transportation makes up thirty-eight per cent of transportation emissions in the State and light-duty vehicles make up eighty-five per cent of those emissions. A key component to meeting the State's decarbonization goals will be the reduction of vehicle miles traveled by commuters, which can be done through several mechanisms, including the promotion of walking, biking, public transit, and carpooling. The legislature further finds that state employees have limited commuter benefits. In 2024, the legislature adopted House Resolution 191, Regular Session of 2024, which urged the department of accounting and general services and department of human resources development to evaluate subsidizing public transit for public employees. Currently, the only transportation benefits the State offers is a pre-tax deduction of a state employee's paycheck to purchase a transit pass or pay for parking as allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. The State indirectly subsidizes employee parking stalls in downtown Honolulu on average between $130 to $238 a month, and provides no subsidy for employees using public transit, carpooling, walking, biking, and other modes of transportation that reduce transportation emissions. Opting for public transit and active modes of transportation over private vehicles for commutes can help employees save money on fuel, insurance, parking, and vehicle maintenance costs, which can also help reduce the cost of living. Additionally, active modes of transportation can enhance quality of life, health, and wellbeing through physical activity. The legislature also finds that state employee focus groups conducted in July and August of 2024 by the Oahu metropolitan planning organization revealed that fifty-four per cent of respondents would ride public transit to work if public transit passes were fully subsidized or discounted and forty-eight per cent of respondents stated they would walk, ride a bike, or scooter to work with a financial incentive. The focus group also revealed that thirty per cent of respondents were not aware they could pay for a transit pass using pre-tax deductions. The legislature notes that other jurisdictions such as Redmond, Washington, have implemented a transportation demand management program aimed at reducing vehicle miles traveled and improving employee transportation benefits and have reported increased employee retention and decreased tardiness or absences upon participating in the commuter benefits program. Parking opt-out programs allow state employees to forgo a parking stall and use active or shared modes of transportation to commute to work in exchange for a financial incentive. These programs have been shown to reduce employee vehicle miles traveled by as much as twelve per cent. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require and appropriate funds for the department of human resources development to create and implement a comprehensive transportation demand management program for all state employees with the goal of reducing vehicle emissions and single occupancy vehicle commutes. SECTION 2. Chapter 78, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§78- Transportation demand management program; public transit passes; bikeshare passes; parking optout. (a) The department of human resources development shall develop and implement a comprehensive transportation demand management program. The program shall administer, promote, and conduct education and outreach of state employee transportation benefits and encourage the use of healthy, economical, and environmentally sustainable commuting modes of transportation and discourage the use of single-occupant vehicle commuting. (b) Each state department and its agencies shall establish a volunteer employee transportation coordinator at each physical worksite of the department or agency. The department of human resources development, in collaboration with the Oahu metropolitan planning organization, shall work with the volunteer employee transportation coordinator to hold monthly meetings to assist with the distribution of educational and marketing materials and provide guidance on encouraging employees to participate in the transportation demand management program. (c) The department of human resources development shall offer fully subsidized public transit passes and bikeshare passes as a benefit option to all public employees. The public transit and bikeshare passes shall be integrated into public employee badges and shall be in accordance with existing transit pass badging programs. (d) The department of human resources development shall, in coordination with the department of accounting and general services, develop a parking opt-out program to allow all public employees to opt out of a parking stall to receive a financial incentive." SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the transportation demand management program established pursuant to section 2 of this Act, including the hiring of: (1) One permanent full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) position within the department of human resources development to administer and promote the program; and (2) One permanent full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) position within the Oahu metropolitan planning organization to assist the position under paragraph (1) with the program. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human resources development for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000. |
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| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that ground transportation makes up thirty-eight per cent of transportation emissions in the State and light-duty vehicles make up eight-five per cent of those emissions. A key component to meeting the State's decarbonization goals will be the reduction of vehicle miles traveled by commuters, which can be done through several mechanisms, including the promotion of walking, biking, public transit, and carpooling. The legislature further finds that state employees have limited commuter benefits. In 2024, the legislature adopted House Resolution 191, Regular Session of 2024, which urged the department of accounting and general services and department of human resources development to evaluate subsidizing public transit for public employees. Currently, the only transportation benefits the State offers is a pre-tax deduction of a state employee's paycheck to purchase a transit pass or pay for parking as allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. The State indirectly subsidizes employee parking stalls in downtown Honolulu on average between $130 to $238 a month, and provides no subsidy for employees using public transit, carpooling, walking, biking, and other modes of transportation that reduce transportation emissions. Opting for public transit and active modes of transportation over private vehicles for commutes can help employees save money on fuel, insurance, parking, and vehicle maintenance costs, which can also help reduce the cost of living. Additionally, active modes of transportation can enhance quality of life, health, and wellbeing through physical activity. The legislature also finds that state employee focus groups conducted in July and August of 2024 by the Oahu metropolitan planning organization revealed that fifty-four per cent of respondents would ride public transit to work if public transit passes were fully subsidized or discounted and forty-eight per cent of respondents stated they would walk, ride a bike, or scooter to work with a financial incentive. The focus group also revealed that thirty per cent of respondents were not aware they could pay for a transit pass using pre-tax deductions. The legislature notes that other jurisdictions such as Redmond, Washington, have implemented a transportation demand management program aimed at reducing vehicle miles traveled and improving employee transportation benefits and have reported increased employee retention and decreased tardiness or absences upon participating in the commuter benefits program. Parking opt-out programs allow state employees to forgo a parking stall and use active or shared modes of transportation to commute to work in exchange for a financial incentive. These programs have been shown to reduce employee vehicle miles traveled by as much as twelve per cent. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require the department of human resources development to create and implement a comprehensive transportation demand management program for all state employees with the goal of reducing vehicle emissions and single occupancy vehicle commutes. SECTION 2. Chapter 78, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§78- Transportation demand management program; public transit passes; bikeshare passes; parking optout. (a) The department of human resources development shall develop and implement a comprehensive transportation demand management program. The program shall administer, promote, and conduct education and outreach of state employee transportation benefits and encourage the use of healthy, economical, and environmentally sustainable commuting modes of transportation and discourage the use of single-occupant vehicle commuting. (b) Each state department and its agencies shall establish a volunteer employee transportation coordinator at each physical worksite of the department or agency. The department of human resources development, in collaboration with the Oahu metropolitan planning organization, shall work with the volunteer employee transportation coordinator to hold monthly meetings to assist with the distribution of educational and marketing materials and provide guidance on encouraging employees to participate in the transportation demand management program. (c) The department of human resources development shall offer fully subsidized public transit passes and bikeshare passes as a benefit option to all public employees. The public transit and bikeshare passes shall be integrated into public employee badges and shall be in accordance with existing transit pass badging programs. (d) The department of human resources development shall, in coordination with the department of accounting and general services, develop a parking opt-out program to allow all public employees to opt out of a parking stall to receive a financial incentive." SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the transportation demand management program established pursuant to section 2 of this Act, including the hiring of: (1) One permanent full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) position within the department of human resources development to administer and promote the program; and (2) One permanent full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) position within the Oahu metropolitan planning organization to assist the position under paragraph (1) with the program. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human resources development for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
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