Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations and Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 725, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update statutes pertaining to statewide transportation planning to reflect current practices and requirements.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation.

Your Committees find that the present provisions of chapter 279A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, do not accurately reflect current federal regulations and practices governing plan development and the continuing Statewide Transportation Plan process.

Your Committees find that the proposed revisions will not impact the public, and the county agencies directly involved in the transportation planning process will continue to be involved and will not be affected.

Your Committees amended this measure by replacing its contents with the contents of Senate Bill No. 1200, S.D. 1, which is nearly identical to this measure but which conforms to preferred drafting style.

Your Committees further amended this measure by inserting a new section to create a task force to examine the efficacy and feasibility of transferring all state highway functions to the counties. The task force shall submit its recommendations and any proposed legislation to the Legislature prior to the convening of the regular session of 2002. Your Committees find that it may be advisable to transfer state highway functions to the counties, and that a task force is appropriate to examine this issue.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations and Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 725, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 725, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.