Section 291C-3 - State and county safe routes to school programs; coordinators; grants; reports(a) There is established, within the department of transportation, a safe routes to school program that shall, among other things, enhance traffic safety around Hawaii's schools, enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school, and make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative. Beginning July 1,2024, the program shall be responsible for developing and publishing goals and performance measures in coordination with the safe routes to school advisory committee and providing technical assistance to counties and community organizations in support of projects and programs that advance state and county goals.(b) There is created, within the department of transportation, the position of safe routes to school program coordinator. The safe routes to school program coordinator shall provide a central point of contact for the safe routes to school program.(c) A county designated office, through the county safe routes to school program coordinator, and in consultation with the department of education, department of health, and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, shall provide safe routes to school funds for school-based and community-based workshops and infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects that will reduce vehicular traffic and congestion, encourage walking and bicycling, and promote health and safety around Hawaii's schools.(d) The department of transportation shall expend funds from the safe routes to school program special fund in coordination with the safe routes to school advisory committee to be used for the implementation of the safe routes to school program plan and projects pursuant to section 291C-(b)(2) and (3). No later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, each county shall submit to the legislature an annual report on the status and progress of its county safe routes to school program, including an accounting of all grants provided through the program and a timeline for future grant awards.(e) Implementation of the county safe routes to school program shall take into consideration the need to:(1) Fill a permanent, full-time position of safe routes to school coordinator within the county designated office;(2) Maximize the participation of school officials and stakeholder groups in the community;(3) Work in conjunction with county designated safe routes to school stakeholders and train volunteer facilitators for school-based workshops and community-based projects, including flexible training schedules;(4) Train potential grant requestors and stakeholder groups in federal and state requirements necessary for procurement, contracts, design, and construction; and(5) Allocate not less than ten per cent and not more than thirty per cent of safe routes to school funds for non-infrastructure-related activities or activities to encourage walking and bicycling to school, public awareness campaigns, student sessions on bicycle and pedestrian safety, or other non-infrastructure activities. (f) The safe routes to school advisory committee established pursuant to section291C- shall develop a streamlined process for the safe routes to school program that meets federal and state requirements, simplifies the grant proposal application process, and expedites release of funding after completion of school-based and community-based projects for infrastructure and non-infrastructure.(g) The safe routes to school advisory committee established pursuant to section291C- shall submit to the legislature an annual report of the status and progress of the safe routes to school program, including an accounting of all grants provided through the program and a timeline for future grant awards, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session. Amended by L 2023, c 244,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by L 2021SP1, c 9,§ 61, eff. 7/1/2021.Added by L 2012, c 317, § 2, eff. 9/1/2012.