Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

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. 2310 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize a county director of finance to assign a vehicle identification number (VIN) to a vehicle that otherwise lacks one.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, the Director and Treasurer of the Hawaii County Finance Department, the Hawaii County Council, the Hawaii County Mayor, and nine motorcycle enthusiasts.

Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Honolulu County Police Department, Wholesale Motors, Inc., Hawaii Motorcycle Dealers Association, Cycle City, Ltd., and Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association. The Honolulu City and County Department of Customer Services submitted comments.

Your Committees find that the problem of registering aftermarket or custom frame motorcycles persists, primarily due to the fact that such custom machines lack a federal VIN. Your Committees find that in such cases, it makes sense to allow the county director of finance to assign a VIN to facilitate registration of the cycle.

Your Committees amended this measure to exempt motorcycles from the state reconstruction code (which applies only in the City and County Honolulu) so that the registration and inspection requirements are uniform for motorcycles in every county.

In addition, your Committees amended this measure to narrow the authority of county finance directors to assign VIN's. As amended, a county finance director may only assign a VIN to a motorcycle, and only if that motorcycle has both a bill of sale and certain identifying numbers assigned by the manufacturer.

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. 2310, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2310, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.