EAA Comments on Hawaii Airport Rules Bill

April 5, 2018 - EAA is working alongside AOPA and other GA groups to remove the harsh penalties for minor airport rules infractions in Hawaii. Under current Hawaiian law, even the smallest violations of policy, such as parking in the wrong location or inappropriate storage of items in a hangar, are subject to criminal charges as misdemeanors. Hawaii is the only state in the nation to enforce airport rules in this manner.

Hawaii Senate Bill 2619 changes these criminal sanctions to civil penalties, similar to other jurisdictions around the country. It has enjoyed broad support in the current legislative session, and many EAA members have worked tirelessly to help make the bill a reality.

EAA filed testimony last week in support of the legislation, noting that a misdemeanor charge is “a gratuitous punishment that can have wide-ranging consequences in a person’s life, particularly in the case of pilots.” EAA said, based on its long history of airport advocacy, that “simple violations of airport rules should never merit criminal charges.”

Shortly after EAA filed its testimony, the bill passed a key vote in the House Judiciary Committee. It continues to advance toward passage.