Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2579 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is strengthen the current law regarding the use of intoxicants while operating a motor vehicle by specifying that persons refusing to be tested for intoxicants will be ineligible for a conditional driving permit.

The Department of Transportation, the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Honolulu Police Department testified in support of this measure.

The Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Consolidation Bill (Act 157, Session Laws of Hawaii, 2001) inadvertently omitted language which prohibited an individual who refuses to take a test for suspected use of intoxicants to obtain a conditional driving permit. This created a loophole for these persons to continue to drive. Your Committee feels that clarification of this situation is in order so that safety of our roads can be improved by keeping intoxicated drivers off the streets.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2579 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.