HB 1159 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL HARBORS.

HB 1159 establishes a Commercial Harbors Emergency Evacuation Working Group to develop emergency evacuation plans for commercial harbors, requiring the group to submit a report to the legislature. This bill directly affects commercial harbor operators and port authorities by mandating new planning and reporting obligations. The key mechanism is the creation of this working group, which will coordinate evacuation planning efforts, followed by a formal legislative report. (Procedural bill; summary limited to concrete requirements described in the abstract.)

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

Jun 2025

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Signed Jun 25, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1159_HD2 → HB1159_SD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to shift focus from immediate enforcement and penalties to establishing a temporary working group to study evacuation procedures and penalties before implementation. The original version included specific fine amounts and immediate compliance requirements, while the new version defers action to a study group that must report recommendations by 2027.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from immediate enforcement of evacuation orders with specific penalties to creating a temporary working group to study and recommend improvements to evacuation procedures and penalties.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new Commercial Harbors Emergency Evacuation Working Group within the Department of Transportation to review evacuation procedures, mooring plans, and penalty sufficiency.

Added specific membership requirements for the working group including state transportation officials, legislative committee chairs, Coast Guard representatives, and commercial harbor users.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed specific fine amounts ($10,000 per day) and immediate compliance requirements for vessel masters during emergencies.

TIMELINE

Added a requirement for the working group to submit a report with recommendations to the legislature by June 30, 2027, and to be dissolved on that date.

FISCAL

Removed references to consolidating harbor special funds and abolishing the harbor reserve fund.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.

upper

Apr 25, 2025

Introduced

48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 04-30-25

upper

Apr 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 210).

upper

Apr 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 210) as amended in (CD 1).

lower

Apr 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Rhoads, Aquino, Inouye, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Apr 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Belatti, Poepoe, Grandinetti, Muraoka; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Apr 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-25-25 5:15 PM; Conference Room 225.

upper

Apr 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 04-25-25 at 3:30PM in Conference Room 411.

lower

Apr 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 04-25-25 at 2:00PM in Conference Room 411.

lower

Apr 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 04-25-25 at 12:30PM in Conference Room 329.

lower

Apr 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 04-25-25 at 11:30AM in Conference Room 329.

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-25-25 10:20AM; Conference Room 329.

upper

Apr 17, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to TRN, PBS, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 33

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Amended

House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Introduced

Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 739) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 11 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite, Kidani.

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC/WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-01-25 10:00AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from TCA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1314) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on TCA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TCA were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on TCA has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to TCA, JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 340).

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Alcos, Iwamoto, Matsumoto voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Kong, Muraoka, Shimizu voting no (4) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran, Sayama, Ward excused (3).

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 458), recommending referral to JHA.

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Lamosao, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto, Shimizu; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Ichiyama.

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Committee

Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 112) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to PBS.

lower

Jan 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Grandinetti, Evslin, Kitagawa, Miyake, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, La Chica.

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

Referred to TRN, PBS, JHA, referral sheet 3

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors