Urging The Counties Of The State To Install A Minimum Set Of Accessible Recreational Playground Equipment In Each Playground Located In A County Park And To Establish Comprehensive Maintenance Plans That Ensure The Long-term Safety, Cleanliness, And Functionality Of Each Playground.
Senate Resolution 42 urges Hawaii’s counties to ensure that every playground in a county park includes at least a minimal set of accessible recreational equipment, with a specific request that the set include a wheelchair-accessible swing. The resolution is framed around the benefits of free play and playground access for child development, physical activity, imagination, self-confidence, and social interaction, and it emphasizes inclusion for youth with physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities.
The resolution also asks counties to adopt comprehensive playground maintenance plans to support long-term safety, cleanliness, and functionality. Those plans are requested to include regular inspections, preventive maintenance, cleaning and sanitation, accessibility checks, emergency repair procedures, and community engagement measures such as neighborhood watch or volunteer patrols. In addition, the resolution requests that accessible equipment comply with the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design or comparable successor standards.
SR42 further requests that the Department of Education and the Department of Accounting and General Services convene a working group with county participation. That working group would inventory existing and planned state and county playgrounds, identify accessible equipment options, estimate purchase, installation, and maintenance costs, and make recommendations for how the State and counties can incorporate accessible playground equipment into current and future facilities.
As a resolution, SR42 does not itself amend state statutes or impose binding legal requirements on counties. Its practical effect is to express legislative policy and encourage county action, while also initiating intergovernmental study and planning through DOE and DAGS. The measure is aimed at county parks and public playgrounds, with particular benefit to children with disabilities and to families seeking more inclusive recreational spaces.
SR42 would not directly change Hawaii’s statutes or create enforceable mandates, but it would influence county park policy and state-county coordination on playground accessibility. If acted on, counties could use the resolution as guidance for capital planning, equipment procurement, maintenance protocols, and ADA compliance in public playgrounds. The requested working group could also shape future appropriations, standards, and administrative practices related to playground design and upkeep.
The available vote history suggests strong support for the measure in committee, with unanimous passage in both the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, each with amendments. The resolution’s tone is broadly affirmative and inclusion-focused, emphasizing child development, disability access, and public safety. No opposing testimony or recorded dissent is provided in the available materials.
The main policy questions appear to be implementation-related rather than ideological: the cost of installing and maintaining accessible equipment, the scope of what counts as a “minimal set,” and how counties will meet ADA accessibility and maintenance expectations across all playgrounds. Another likely point of discussion is the division of responsibility between the State and counties, since the resolution urges county action while also asking DOE and DAGS to coordinate a statewide inventory and recommendations. The amendments adopted in committee may reflect efforts to refine those practical details.