CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 74

                            Honolulu, Hawaii
                                            , 1999

                            RE:   H.B. No. 1637
                                  H.D. 2
                                  S.D. 2
                                  C.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the
House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate
in H.B. No. 1637, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

    "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL BUSES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to
recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final
passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to expedite the granting of
permission to use tour buses for the transportation of student
groups to and from school-related events or activities.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that there are occasions
when school buses are not available for transporting students to
and from school-related events or activities, but that tour buses
may be available as an alternate means of transportation.  Your
Committee further finds that school officials may have to make
several calls to verify the nonavailability of school buses.


 
 
 
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     It is the intent of your Committee that this measure will
facilitate the use of vehicles other than school vehicles for
school-related events and activities.  Under the current system,
the Department of Transportation has made an exemption to use
vehicles other than school buses nearly impossible to obtain.  As
a result, the teachers and school administrators must use the
school vehicles and adjust their plans and budgets according to
the school vehicles' restricted schedules and set rates.  In
easing the requirements to obtain an exemption to use a non-
school vehicle, your Committee believes that the teachers and
school administrators will have increased freedom in the planning
of school events and activities which require transportation
services.

    Your Committee has amended this measure by:

    (1)  Requiring the Department of Transportation to grant
         exemptions for the use of vehicles other than school
         vehicles when the Department of Transportation finds
         that compliance is impractical due to the unavailability
         of school vehicles;

    (2)  Clarifying that a school vehicle is unavailable when it
         does not meet the requests of a school for a motorcoach
         with undercarriage storage compartments and public
         address system;

    (3)  Clarifying that the use of the motorcoach be used solely
         for the transportation of middle, intermediate, or high
         school students to and from school-related events or
         activities;

    (4)  Defining motorcoach as a vehicle that carries more than
         25 passengers, has a gross vehicle weight rating of at
         least 26,000 pounds, and is no more than 15 years old;
         and

    (5)  Amending the effective date to take effect upon
         approval.

     Your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent
and purpose of H.B. No. 1637, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein,
and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 1637, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 
 
 
 
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                                   Respectfully submitted,

MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE        MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE
           SENATE                              HOUSE
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DAVID Y. IGE, Co-Chair             KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Co-Chair
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair           KEN ITO, Co-Chair
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair             KENNY GOODENOW, Co-Chair
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Member            DAVID MORIHARA, Member
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
SAM SLOM, Member                   BARBARA MARUMOTO, Member