HCR 45 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

URGING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO SUPPORT THE COMPLETE TRANSFER OF ITS REGULATORY AUTHORITY OVER MOTOR CARRIERS AND OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING WATER CARRIERS, TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

HCR 45 is a non-binding resolution urging Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to support transferring its regulatory authority over motor carriers (like commercial trucks and buses) to the Department of Transportation (DOT). Currently, the PUC regulates approximately 1,741 motor carrier entities, while the DOT already handles enforcement under Act 117 (2024). The resolution requests the PUC advocate for full regulatory transfer to the DOT to streamline oversight, improve road safety, and align with DOT’s existing transportation expertise. This would require future legislation but is not an immediate policy change.

Issues: ✓ Transportation

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 6, 2025 Last action Apr 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HCR45 → HCR45_HD1 · 2 edits

MINOR

This bill was reformatted from a raw document to a structured legislative text. The substantive policy change is the addition of 'including water carriers' to the scope of transportation entities whose regulatory authority transfer is being urged, expanding the resolution's applicability beyond just motor carriers.

Scope change

The resolution now explicitly includes water carriers in addition to motor carriers and other means of transportation when urging the transfer of regulatory authority to the Department of Transportation.

SCOPE

Added 'including water carriers' to the resolution title and the BE IT RESOLVED clause, expanding the scope of transportation entities covered by the regulatory transfer request.

TECHNICAL

Converted document from raw metadata format to standard legislative text format with proper WHEREAS and BE IT RESOLVED clauses.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to CPN/TCA.

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 510).

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Souza voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Woodson excused (2).

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1831), recommending adoption.

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Chun, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Kong, Lowen, Marten; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Ilagan, Tam, Pierick.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on CPC as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Souza voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Hussey, Muraoka, Ward excused (4).

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1671) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to CPC.

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Grandinetti, Evslin, Kitagawa, La Chica, Miyake, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to TRN, CPC, referral sheet 22

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Offered

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors