SB2400 amends Hawaii’s Water Carrier Act to exempt persons operating wing-in-ground craft engaged in transporting passengers. The bill defines “wing-in-ground craft” as a vessel capable of operating above the water’s surface on a dynamic air cushion created by ground effect, and it adds that category to the statute’s list of exemptions from chapter 271G. In practical terms, the measure removes these seaglider operators from the Public Utilities Commission’s water-carrier regulatory framework.
The bill’s findings describe wing-in-ground craft as an emerging interisland transportation mode that could provide rapid, low-cost, zero-emission service between islands. The legislature states that Coast Guard oversight already addresses safety and consumer protection, so PUC regulation would add cost and oversight without corresponding benefit. The bill also ties the exemption to broader state policy goals, including emissions reduction, transportation decarbonization, improved interisland connectivity, emergency response, and economic development in the green economy.
Impact
SB2400 changes chapter 271G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by creating a new statutory definition of wing-in-ground craft and expressly excluding passenger-carrying operators of those craft from the Hawaii Water Carrier Act. This narrows the scope of the PUC’s jurisdiction over water carriers and removes a potential regulatory barrier for seaglider service providers. The bill affects passenger transportation operators, regulators, and potentially interisland travelers and communities that could be served by this technology.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been generally favorable throughout the legislative process. It passed the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously, passed the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee with amendments, and then passed both conference votes, including a 3-1 House conference vote and a unanimous Senate conference vote. The final enactment as Act 061 suggests broad support for the policy direction, though not complete unanimity in the House conference.
Contention
The main point of contention is regulatory oversight: supporters argue that PUC water-carrier regulation would be duplicative and costly because the Coast Guard already oversees safety and consumer protection, while opponents or skeptics likely raised concerns about reducing state oversight of a new transportation mode. Another likely issue is whether wing-in-ground craft should be treated like water carriers at all, since the bill carves out a new exemption for an emerging technology rather than applying existing rules uniformly. The conference-stage amendments and the lone House conference no vote indicate some unresolved concern, even though the bill ultimately advanced.
Requesting The Department Of Transportation To Facilitate And Accelerate The Adoption Of Sustainable Aviation Fuels To Decarbonize Hawaii's Transportation Sector And Support The State's Climate Goals.
Requesting The Department Of Transportation To Facilitate And Accelerate The Adoption Of Sustainable Aviation Fuels To Decarbonize Hawaii's Transportation Sector And Support The State's Climate Goals.