RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.
SB3153 authorizes the Hawaii Department of Transportation to establish and maintain “airport special district” zones within airports statewide. The bill is framed as a safety and operations measure, citing the large volume of passengers and the State’s obligations under federal airport grant assurances to keep airport facilities safe, serviceable, and free from interference with airport purposes.
Within those zones, the bill makes it unlawful for a person to enter or remain under specified circumstances, including carrying weapons or harmful devices, disrupting airport operations, or failing to comply with posted signs or lawful instructions. It also prohibits sitting, sleeping, lying down, storing or placing personal property, or otherwise obstructing the public right-of-way in the district. The department may adopt rules to define district boundaries, identify authorized persons and activities, set warning/citation procedures, and require conspicuous signage. The bill exempts active airport users, emergency responders, law enforcement, and others authorized by rule or permit, and it takes effect July 1, 2026.
The bill would add a new section to Chapter 261, Hawaii Revised Statutes, giving the Department of Transportation explicit statutory authority to create airport special district zones at airports statewide. It would expand the department’s enforcement and rulemaking authority over airport property, authorize collaboration with law enforcement, and create a new basis for removal, fines, and other penalties for unauthorized conduct in designated airport areas. The measure primarily affects airport operations, travelers, airport employees, contractors, concessionaires, and others present on airport property, while also potentially affecting individuals who might otherwise use airport spaces for resting or storing belongings.
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill. It passed the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously, 3-0, with amendments, and the bill was reported out and passed second reading as amended before referral to the Judiciary Committee. The committee posture indicates support for the bill’s stated goals of airport security, operational control, and compliance with federal obligations.
The main points of potential contention are the breadth of the proposed restrictions and how they would be enforced. The bill would allow exclusion of persons for disruptive conduct or failure to follow instructions, and it would prohibit sitting, sleeping, and storing personal property in airport public right-of-way areas, which could raise concerns about access, civil liberties, and treatment of unhoused individuals or other non-traveling members of the public. At the same time, the bill includes exemptions for passengers, airport workers, contractors, emergency responders, and law enforcement, suggesting the measure is intended to target unauthorized or obstructive activity rather than ordinary airport use.