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 S.B. No. 758 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the examiner of drivers to provide the written driver's license examination in foreign languages.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the President and three members of Faith Action for Community Equity (F.A.C.E.); four additional members of F.A.C.E. submitted oral testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu submitted testimony with no objection to this measure.

Your Committees find that many persons who otherwise qualify to drive in our State are precluded from obtaining a driver's license by language barriers. Your Committees further find that this measure is a fair resolution to that problem. Under this measure an applicant who chooses to take the written examination in a foreign language must demonstrate the ability to read and understand simple English used in highway signs.

Your Committees amended this measure to require the Department of Transportation to prepare the foreign language examinations. If any of the counties prepare a foreign language examination, the Department must reimburse the county for the reasonable cost of preparing the examination.

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 S.B. No. 758, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 758, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.