Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1268 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase the ages at which rental and u-drive motor vehicles must undergo biannual vehicle safety inspections.

Under the present law, rental and u-drive vehicles one year of age or older must be safety inspected every six (6) months.

This bill proposes to extend the period for which biannual inspections of rental and u-drive vehicles are required from one year of age or older to two years of age or older.

Citations by interested entities differed as to the desirability of increasing the ages of these vehicles before being required to be inspected every six months.

Catrala-Hawaii, which represents Hawaii's major u-drive and vehicle-leasing companies, testified that rental and u-drive vehicles are inspected by their companies after every rental, and that any problems are immediately corrected. Catrala-Hawaii also testified that most vehicles are replaced with new vehicles when they are about two years old.

The Department of Transportation testified in opposition to this bill, since it would give rental and u-drive vehicles an advantage over other vehicles which are used in business and require safety checks every six months, i.e. trucks, buses, and taxicabs. The police department opposed the measure on the bases that rental and u-drive vehicles are more of a maintenance risk, receive more use than privately-owned vehicles, do not receive the same care as drivers give to their own vehicles, and all companies may not be conscientious about maintaining their vehicles.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1268 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.