Bills

HCR 127: requesting the department of transportation and department of law enforcement to collaborate to establish a state highway police force.

Session Year: 2025-2026
House: House
Latest Version Date: 2026-03-16

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-04-10: Referred to TRS/PSM.)

Introduced

In Committee

First Chamber

In Committee

Second Chamber

Final Decking

Enacted

What does this bill do?

This resolution asks the state Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement to work together to create a state highway police force to improve traffic safety on Hawaii's roads. The proposed force would supplement county police by focusing on traffic enforcement, faster crash clearance, and reducing roadway deaths and injuries.

Version:

requesting the department of transportation and department of law enforcement to collaborate to establish a state highway police force.

Version:

HCR127

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	127
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the department of transportation and department of law enforcement to collaborate to establish a state highway police force.

WHEREAS, Hawaii's roadways have become increasingly dangerous, particularly during the previous year; and

WHEREAS, an alarming increase in pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities, especially on Oahu, pushed the total number of deaths in 2025 on the State's roadways to 129, which is more than a twenty percent increase over the number of deaths in 2024 and the highest number since 2007; and

WHEREAS, safety on Hawaii's roads could improve with greater enforcement of traffic laws and better transportation planning; and

WHEREAS, county police departments are primarily responsible for enforcing traffic laws on the State's roadways; and

WHEREAS, the establishment of a state highway police force could supplement the efforts of county police departments; and

WHEREAS, collaboration between the Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement to establish a state highway police force has the potential to significantly improve traffic safety on Hawaii's roadways by combining expertise, resources, and enforcement authority to address traffic challenges more comprehensively and effectively; and

WHEREAS, a state highway police force would allow for integrated strategies that blend transportation's emphasis on infrastructure and traffic management with law enforcement's focus on compliance and deterrence; and

WHEREAS, a state highway police force could be specially trained and equipped to handle incidents on highways, ensuring rapid clearance of crashes and minimizing secondary accidents caused by congestion or confusion; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement are requested to collaborate to establish a state highway police force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation and Director of Law Enforcement.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Department of Transportation; Department of Law Enforcement; State Highway Police

Date	Status
Apr 10, 2026	Referred to TRS/PSM.
Apr 10, 2026	Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 571).
Apr 9, 2026	Transmitted to Senate.
Apr 9, 2026	Adopted with Representative(s) Gedeon, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Iwamoto, Muraoka voting no (4) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).
Apr 9, 2026	Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1874-26), recommending adoption.
Apr 7, 2026	The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama, Cochran.
Apr 2, 2026	Resolution scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 04-07-26 2:00PM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
Apr 2, 2026	Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Cochran, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka voting no (2) and none excused (0).
Apr 2, 2026	Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1682-26), recommending referral to JHA.
Mar 31, 2026	The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Cochran; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Muraoka; and Excused: none.
Mar 27, 2026	Resolution scheduled to be heard by TRN on Tuesday, 03-31-26 10:00AM in conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
Mar 18, 2026	Referred to TRN, JHA, referral sheet 19
Mar 16, 2026	Offered

Date	Description	Location	Votes
Apr 7, 2026	The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED	House Standing Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs	7 1 2 Passed
Mar 31, 2026	The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED	House Standing Committee on Transportation	8 1 0 Passed