HR 200: URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO MAKE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ON MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN HAWAII ACCESSIBLE TO ALL HAWAII RESIDENTS.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO MAKE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ON MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN HAWAII ACCESSIBLE TO ALL HAWAII RESIDENTS.

     WHEREAS, the United States military maintains a significant presence in Hawaii, with multiple installations across the islands that provide housing, training grounds, and various support services for military personnel and their families; and

     WHEREAS, these installations also include a wide range of high-quality recreational facilities, such as beaches, golf courses, marinas, campgrounds, gyms, bowling alleys, and community centers, many of which are located on lands that were once public or ceded lands; and

     WHEREAS, much of the land currently occupied by the United States military in Hawaii, including areas now used for recreational purposes, was acquired under contested circumstances, including the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893, the subsequent annexation of Hawaii by the United States without a treaty of cession, and the continued occupation of lands that were originally intended for the benefit of the Hawaiian people under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and the Public Land Trust; and

     WHEREAS, the people of Hawaii contribute substantially to the United States military through service, taxation, and the provision of land and infrastructure, yet are generally restricted from accessing these military recreational facilities; and

     WHEREAS, opening these facilities to the general public would provide Hawaii residents with much-needed recreational opportunities, particularly given the State's high cost of living and limited availability of affordable recreational options; and

     WHEREAS, military installations in other states and jurisdictions have allowed varying degrees of public access to their recreational facilities, demonstrating that such access can be successfully managed while maintaining security protocols; and

     WHEREAS, expanded public access to these facilities would foster stronger relationships between the military and local community, promoting goodwill and mutual respect between service members and civilians in Hawaii; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the United States Department of Defense is urged to make recreational facilities on military installations in Hawaii accessible to all Hawaii residents; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the recreational facilities on military installations that the Department of Defense is requested to make accessible include but are not limited to:

     (1)  Hale Koa Hotel, an Armed Forces Recreation Center located in Waikīkī, which offers hotel accommodations, dining facilities, and entertainment facilities;

     (2)  Bellows Air Force Station, located in Waimānalo, which provides beachfront cabins, camping sites, and various outdoor recreational activities;

     (3)  Pililāʻau Army Recreation Center, situated on Pōkaʻī Bay on the Leeward Coast of Oʻahu, which offers beachfront cabins and facilities for water sports and family gatherings;

     (4)  Barbers Point Recreation Area, located on the western coast of Oʻahu, which offers rental cottages and beach access;

     (5)  Kīlauea Military Camp Recreation Area, located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Hawaiʻi Island, which provides lodging and recreational facilities;

     (6)  Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi, located on Kāneʻohe Bay, which offers various recreational facilities, including beaches, camping sites, and a golf course;

     (7)  Hickam Harbor Recreation Area, located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, which offers sailing, surfing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and kayaking;

     (8)  Schofield Barracks, located in central Oʻahu, which provides various recreational facilities, including swimming pools, fitness centers, and a golf course;

     (9)  Fort DeRussy, which is home to the United States Army Museum of Hawaiʻi and offers recreational spaces in Waikīkī; and

    (10)  Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, located on Kauaʻi, which offers beach cottages and recreational facilities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Department of Defense is requested to develop guidelines to facilitate safe and secure public access to these facilities, taking into account successful models implemented in other jurisdictions; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of Defense, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Air Force, each member of Hawaii's congressional delegation, Governor, Mayors of the counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai, and Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title: 

Recreational Facilities; Military Installations; Access to All Hawaii Residents; Department of Defense

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1889

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.R. No. 200

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.R. No. 200 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO MAKE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ON MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN HAWAII ACCESSIBLE TO ALL HAWAII RESIDENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the United States Department of Defense to make recreational facilities on military installations in Hawaii accessible to all Hawaii residents.

     Your committee received testimony from two individuals in support and one individual in opposition.

     Your committee finds that the United States military maintains a significant presence in Hawaii including a wide range of high-quality recreational facilities, and that military installations in other states and jurisdictions have allowed varying degrees of public access to these recreational facilities.  Your committee believes that expanding public access to these recreational facilities would foster stronger relationships between the military and local community, promoting goodwill.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 200 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,