HB 1278 Summary

• Establishes green infrastructure objectives for transportation systems including minimizing stormwater runoff, reducing urban heat island effects, providing cooler shaded transit, and removing pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

• Requires transportation planning to incorporate green infrastructure to achieve quality of life objectives such as creating visual and sound barriers, incorporating live foliage and trees, and standardizing paint schemes for exposed infrastructure.

• Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 264 to add new green transportation infrastructure requirements and define "green infrastructure" as plant, tree, or soil systems with minimum 20-year lifespan designed to reduce carbon footprints and meet climate goals.

• Creates the green transportation infrastructure task force, housed within the department of transportation, composed of nine core members from government agencies, universities, and the Hawaii tourism authority, with authority to invite additional stakeholders.

• Requires the task force to submit findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than 20 days before the 2024 and 2025 regular legislative sessions, with the task force dissolving on June 30, 2025.