Requesting The Office Of The State Fire Marshal To Convene A Vegetation Management Working Group To Study, Evaluate, And Make Recommendations For Regulations That Define The Respective Obligations Of Property Owners, Lessees, Licensees, Permittees, And Holders Of Easements For Access, Utility, Or Other Purposes, For Vegetation Management On Public And Private Property To Mitigate Wildfire Risk, And Make Recommendations That Define A Line Clearance Tree Trimmer And Establish Minimum Safety Standards, Training, And Qualifications For Individuals Performing Line Clearance Tree Trimming At Or Near Electric Utility Facilities.
SCR149 requests the Office of the State Fire Marshal to convene a Vegetation Management Working Group to study wildfire-related vegetation management and recommend regulations clarifying the responsibilities of property owners, lessees, licensees, permittees, and easement holders on public and private land. The resolution is focused on reducing wildfire risk by addressing unmanaged grasses, trees, and other vegetation near utility infrastructure and by examining how different parties should manage vegetation to prevent ignition and spread.
The working group is also asked to develop recommendations defining a “line clearance tree trimmer” and to establish minimum safety standards, training, and qualifications for people performing tree trimming at or near electric utility facilities. It must consider utility wildfire mitigation plans, including Hawaiian Electric’s resilience and wildfire safety filings and utility hazard mitigation plans submitted to the Public Utilities Commission, and report findings and any proposed legislation to the Legislature before the 2026 session. The group is set to dissolve on June 30, 2026, with administrative support requested from the Department of Defense.
Because SCR149 is a concurrent resolution rather than a bill creating new statutory requirements, it does not itself change state law. Instead, it initiates an interagency study process that could lead to future legislation or regulatory action on wildfire mitigation, vegetation management duties, and worker safety standards for line clearance tree trimming. The resolution would involve state, county, utility, labor, and landowner stakeholders and could influence future obligations for property owners, utilities, and contractors operating near electric lines and wildfire-prone areas.
The available voting history suggests broad support, with the Senate Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee passing the measure 5-0 with amendments. The resolution’s findings reflect a strong sense of urgency and concern following the 2023 Maui wildfires, and the overall tone is preventive and collaborative. The bill appears to be viewed as a planning and coordination measure aimed at improving wildfire resilience and worker safety rather than as a controversial regulatory mandate.
The main areas of potential contention are likely to be how far vegetation management obligations should extend across public and private property, who should bear the costs and responsibilities for clearing vegetation, and what standards should apply to utilities, landowners, and easement holders. There may also be differing views on whether the state should adopt stricter safety and training requirements for line clearance tree trimmers and how those requirements would affect utilities, contractors, and labor groups. The inclusion of large landowners, utilities, and the electrical workers’ union in the working group suggests the Legislature expects these interests to have important, and possibly competing, perspectives.