S.B. 140 - Dark Night Skies Protection

• Establishes a Dark Night Skies Protection Advisory Committee within the University of Hawaii to develop a statewide dark night skies protection strategy addressing light pollution.

• Committee consists of 13 members including the University of Hawaii president, state department heads (comptroller, business/economic development, health, transportation), board of land and natural resources chair, four county mayors, Office of Hawaiian Affairs administrator, director of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, and a representative from the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

• Committee shall evaluate light pollution reduction, energy conservation, protection of threatened species affected by artificial light, impacts on astronomical observations from Mauna Kea and Haleakala, educational uses, and potential dark night sky parks with minimal light interference.

• Committee shall consult with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and report initial findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than 20 days before the 2018 regular session, with updated reports before each regular session in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

• Advisory committee dissolves on June 30, 2021.