STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1241

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 700
                                     S.D. 2




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B.
No. 700, S.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LOW-SPEED VEHICLES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to enact provisions regulating
neighborhood electric vehicles.

     Your Committee on Transportation finds that Neighborhood
Electrical Vehicles (NEV) are environmentally and economically
sound alternatives to gasoline-fueled vehicles when used for
traveling around and about neighborhood communities.  NEV operate
at a maximum speed of twenty-five miles per hour, and noise and
air pollution produced by these vehicles are minimal.  By
utilizing electricity as its fuel, not only does it help to
reduce fossil fuel consumption, it costs less to operate by using
a less expensive form of energy.  If a NEV industry is
established within the State, this new industry could also induce
more high technology and business opportunities.

     This bill proposes to regulate neighborhood electric
vehicles, which are designed to operate at speeds of 25 miles per
hour or less.  It also requires these vehicles to display slow
moving vehicle emblems and meet the minimum Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety standards.

     Testimonies in support of this bill were received from
Miniature Motorsports of Hawaii, MMS, Inc., and the Electric

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1241
                                 Page 2

 
Vehicle Association of Hawaii.  The Department of Consumer
Services of City and County of Honolulu has no objections to this
measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
700, S.D. 2 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Transportation,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair