STAND. COM. REP. NO. 581

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1457
                                     




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1457 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TRAFFIC CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to reclassify spilling load
violations as traffic offenses.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the
Judiciary.

     Currently, a five-day license or vehicle registration
suspension, in addition to a mandatory $250 fine is the penalty
required for all spilling load violations.  However, these
violations are currently processed through the civil traffic
system which allows the defendant to respond by written statement
in lieu of a court appearance.  

     A defendant must appear in court if the court wants, to
enforce the mandatory five-day license or vehicle registration
suspension.  Your Committee believes that making this violation a
traffic offense will require the defendant to be present in
court, thus resolving this situation so that appropriate
penalties and sanctions can be imposed.


 
 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 581
                                 Page 2

 
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 1457 and recommends that it be referred to
the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair