STAND. COM. REP. NO. 652-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1807
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1807 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure that traffic
infractions are adjudicated in a uniform manner by amending
various statutory provisions dealing with airports, parks, and
harbors to correspond with the Adjudication of Traffic
Infractions Law under Chapter 291D, Hawaii Revised Statutes
(HRS), as it relates to traffic offenses.

     The Judiciary and the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney
of the City and County of Honolulu testified in support of the
bill.  The Department of Transportation and the Department of
Land and Natural Resources testified in support of the intent of
the measure.  The Office of the Public Defender commented on the
bill.

     Your Committee finds that currently, traffic offenses
committed in public parks, airport facilities, and harbors are
handled through the criminal process, unlike the decriminalized
process established for all other traffic infractions in the
State.  This measure provides for the decriminalization of all
traffic offenses as provided in Chapter 291D, HRS regardless of
the venue in which the offense occurred.  Your Committee finds
that this measure will reduce the need for time-consuming court
appearances by the public and will ease the caseloads of the
State's district courts.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 652-00
                                 Page 2

 

     Your Committee further finds that there are no county
airports or harbors in the State and has amended this bill
accordingly by deleting all references to county airports and
harbors.  Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made to
conform to correct drafting style.

     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. 1807, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
1807, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair