Requesting The Department Of Transportation To Establish An Indirect Traffic Disruption Grant Program.
H.R. 111 is a House Resolution requesting the Hawaii Department of Transportation to create an Indirect Roadwork Disruption Grant Program. The program would provide grants to property owners and small businesses that are harmed by unplanned road closures, detours, blockages, or utility disruptions tied to state or county roadwork, including work performed by public utilities or contractors under state or county work orders. The resolution frames the issue as one of economic fairness, arguing that necessary infrastructure projects can create significant collateral harm for nearby residents and businesses.
The resolution directs the Department of Transportation to develop a grant application and review process for two groups: property owners who can show loss of access or prolonged detours, and small businesses that can demonstrate verifiable loss of access or revenue. It also asks the department to set eligibility criteria based on notice provided, duration and severity of the disruption, and the economic impact on the applicant. In addition, the department is asked to work with the counties when projects involve joint state-county roadwork and to report back to the Legislature before the 2027 session with data on applications, awards, timelines, and any recommended follow-up legislation.
Because this is a resolution rather than a bill, it does not itself amend the Hawaii Revised Statutes or create a mandatory entitlement. Its practical effect would be to urge the Department of Transportation to design a new grant program and coordinate with county governments, potentially leading to future administrative action, funding requests, or legislation. If implemented, the program would affect property owners, small businesses, the Department of Transportation, and county transportation or public works operations by creating a formal mechanism to seek compensation for indirect losses caused by public roadwork disruptions.
The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is supportive of affected property owners and small businesses, with a strong emphasis on economic relief, community resilience, and balancing infrastructure needs against local hardship. The measure presents roadwork-related disruption as a real burden that can reduce access and revenue, and it seeks a practical response through grants and reporting. No committee testimony or vote record is provided, so there is no documented opposition or recorded debate in the supplied materials.
The main policy tension is likely between providing relief to businesses and property owners and the administrative and fiscal burden of creating a grant program for indirect losses. Potential points of contention include how to define eligible disruptions, how to verify revenue loss or access impairment, whether notice of roadwork should affect eligibility, and how to allocate responsibility between the state, counties, and public utilities or contractors. Another likely issue is funding: the resolution requests a program but does not identify a dedicated funding source, which could raise concerns about cost, scope, and implementation feasibility.