Our voices matter! We make change happen by reaching out to our local representatives and requesting support for bills that help us meet our electrification of transportation goals.

Hawaii EV is tracking EV-related bills and will provide supportive testimony. We will also encourage others to do the same.

Our Legislative Priorities

Transportation contributes to a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, estimated at 40% of Hawaii’s emissions. Importantly, given the inefficiency of the gas-powered drivetrain, up to 80% of each gallon of fuel is wasted as heat. Thus, it is important to transition to more efficient, less emitting modes of transportation. Doing so will help us save resources while contributing to critical climate action and improving our environment.

Our policy priority areas:

• EV-Related Incentives - Rebates and other incentives will make EV ownership more feasible for Hawaii residents and businesses and facilitate the transition to clean transportation. These incentives can help create a network of well-maintained, reliable public charging stations, which will allow broader and equitable adoption of EVs, particularly by households that don’t have access to home charging and the visitor industry. They can also make EVs more affordable for Hawaii residents and businesses.

• Clean Transportation Mandates - Sometimes, we must resort to mandates to effect needed change. These requirements can address permitting guidelines, deadlines for sunsetting technology, and societal goals.

• VMT Reduction -Strategies to reduce the need for personal cars will help reduce congestion, increase overall transportation efficiency, and contribute to greater overall emission reduction.

Our list of supported EV bills can be found here.

You can help!

A relatively simple way to encourage support of bills that support our clean energy and sustainability goals is to submit testimony on bills being heard by the legislature. Similarly, writing to our local representatives to encourage support of the bills can help. We ask that you’ll take the time to share your support.

Let us know if you’d like to subscribe to our Action Alerts. As we hear about bills that require our support, we will send out emails to call attention to bills that require testimony. Your voice counts.

How to Submit Testimony

To submit testimony to the Hawaii Legislature, you'll need to have an account (you'll need to log in before you can submit testimony). To create an account, go to the Hawaii State Legislature Registration Page and click the 'Register' link in the upper right corner.

For step-by-step instructions on the submission of testimony, visit this guide.

Visit the Legislative Reference Bureau resource page for information on account set-up, signing up for notices of hearings, submitting testimony, and other relevant actions.

Wondering what to include in your testimony?

Hawaii EV has compiled a growing list of tips and Talking Points to help you create meaningful testimony.

Additional Resources

• Session Calendar

• Representative and Senator Locator - If you want to write, call, or fax your legislators, you can find out who they are by going here.

• Guide to the Hawaii Legislature Website – This guide provides details to help you navigate the website.

• Live and On-Demand Video – Committee hearings will be viewable live stream and on-demand videos on YouTube. Visit this page for details.

• Legislative Process Overview - A description of the overall process, key milestones, and expectations.

• Demystifying the legislative process - This 25-minute video was produced by Hawaii Environmental Change Agents. In it, John Kawamoto explains the steps involved in the Hawaii legislative process. A graphical representation of the flow can be found here.