Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2302, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The primary purpose of this measure is to allow judges the discretion to conditionally issue or renew driver's licenses or permits, other than commercial driver's licenses, of individuals who will be fired from work or have no transportation to work without a license.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Transportation.

Your Committee finds that current licensing law creates a catch-22 situation with respect to the many individuals who cannot renew their driver’s licenses because they have outstanding traffic fines, but cannot pay their traffic fines because they cannot renew their driver’s licenses to get to work.

This problem is particularly acute on the neighbor islands, where there is often no viable public transportation. This measure would allow judges the discretion to ameliorate that difficulty, which would be of particular benefit to such vulnerable segments of the population as:

(1) Low income working individuals;

Your Committee notes that the effective date of this measure is July 1, 2050, which will allow for further discussion of this issue during conference.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2302, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.