Bill Text: HI SB2544 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Safe Routes To School.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-14 - The committee on EDU deferred the measure. [SB2544 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-SB2544-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2544 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that transforming Hawaii's surface transportation systems and infrastructure to prioritize walking, rolling, bicycling, and public transit is at the nexus of the State's commitments to public health, safety, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability. The most important component of this transformation is ensuring that every child in Hawaii enjoys the infrastructure, social support, confidence, and skills to walk, roll, bike, or bus to school. The legislature further finds that ensuring safe routes for every keiki will not only protect our most vulnerable road users, but also serves as a long-term investment in the future of mobility.
The legislature also finds that
as a result of decades of automobile-centric planning and development, there
are formidable barriers to this transformation. These barriers include a
lack of complete, safe, and comfortable bike and pedestrian networks; burdensome
and complicated funding mechanisms for safe routes to school programs and
community engagement; a lack of a state safe routes to school plan that creates
performance measures, goals, strategies, and accountability; and a lack of
coordination of safe routes to school promotion among state and county agencies
and community-based organizations.
Accordingly, the purpose of
this Act is to:
(1) Establish the safe routes to school advisory committee to coordinate with the department of transportation and other necessary stakeholders to develop a safe routes to school plan that sets goals for safe routes to school programming within the state, defines roles and responsibilities, ensures participation of vulnerable populations, and makes recommendations for optimizing the use of available state and federal funds for safe routes to school programs; and
(2) Appropriate
funds for the hiring of a full-time safe routes to school coordinator within
the department of transportation.
SECTION 2. (a) There is established
a safe routes to school advisory committee within the highway division of the department
of transportation for administrative purposes. The purpose of the
advisory committee is to advise the State on strategies to ensure that all
children in the State are able to safely bike, walk, roll, or bus to school. The advisory committee shall develop a comprehensive
statewide safe routes to school strategic plan, that shall at a minimum:
(1) Identify ways to stabilize the safe routes special fund distribution
mechanism;
(2) Recommend strategies to streamline safe routes to school program
funding to make it easier for schools and communities to apply for and receive funds;
(3) Identify and recommend funding mechanisms, planning processes,
and programming that are inclusive and equitable; and
(4) Recommend strategies to prioritize safe routes to school programming
serving students attending schools that receive federal funds pursuant to Title
I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every
Student Succeeds Act.
(b) The advisory committee shall make publicly available
its final strategic plan on or before November 1, 2025.
(c) The advisory committee shall submit a copy of its
strategic plan, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later
than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026.
(d) The advisory committee shall consist of the following
members:
(1) The State of Hawaii safe routes to school coordinator;
(2) The physical activity and nutrition coordinator within the
department of health;
(3) The school wellness coordinator within the department of
health;
(4) A representative of the department of education;
(5) A representative of the Honolulu police department;
(6) A representative of the Kauai police department;
(7) A representative of the Hawaii police department;
(8) A representative of the Maui police department;
(9) The city and county of Honolulu safe routes to school
coordinator;
(10) The county of Kauai safe routes to school coordinator;
(11) The county of Hawaii safe routes to school coordinator; and
(12) The county of Maui safe routes to school coordinator.
(e)
The advisory committee shall select a chair from amongst
its members, who shall invite the following individuals to become members of the
advisory committee:
(1) A
representative of the Maui metropolitan planning organization;
(2) A
representative of Papa Ola Lokahi;
(3) A
representative of the Hawaii Bicycling League;
(4) A
representative of the Hawaii Public Health Institute; and
(5) Any
other members recommended by the advisory committee.
(f)
The advisory committee shall meet at least monthly to review
the State's progress in implementing its safe routes to school program and shall
make recommendations to the department of transportation on at least a bi-annual
basis. The advisory committee may meet and
subsequently make recommendations at additional times as determined by a majority
of the members.
(g) The members of the safe routes to school advisory
committee shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses,
including travel expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties.
(h) The advisory committee shall cease to exist on
June 30, 2026.
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 2022-2023 for staffing of the department of transportation pursuant to this Act, including the hiring of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) safe routes to school coordinator position and for any necessary facilities and equipment.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of transportation for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2022.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Safe Routes to School Program; Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee; Appropriation
Description:
Establishes the Safe Routes to School advisory committee to develop a strategic plan for the Safe Routes to School Program by 11/1/2025. Appropriates funds for the hiring of a full-time Safe Routes to School coordinator.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
