Haw. Rev. Stat. § 279D-1
The legislature finds that 23 United States Code sections 134-135 and 49 United States Code sections 5303-5304, as amended, and federal regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and other federal laws require that metropolitan planning organizations be designated based on a minimum population threshold as defined in federal law to act as a decision-making agency and to receive certain funds for the purpose of carrying out a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process.
Metropolitan planning organizations have their own policy board and staff. It is the responsibility of the policy board to make decisions that are the result of the continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process, and the organization's staff support and provide technical resources to the policy board. The continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive planning process is designed to provide both orderly and reasoned metropolitan transportation planning within the framework of federal law, and adequate and informed representation from state and county governments, operators of public transportation receiving federal funds, the public at large, and others as identified in 23 Code of Federal Regulations part 450, subpart C.
HRS § 279D-1