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 S.B. No. 2422, S.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase the time period between mandatory safety inspections for most vehicles that require such an inspection.

The Hawaiian Electric Company, Maui Electric Company, Hawaii Electric Light Company, Hawaii Transportation Association, Roberts Hawaii, Catrala Hawaii, and the Hawaii Activities and Tour Association testified in support of this measure. The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that under federal and state motor vehicle safety regulations, detailed safety inspections of commercial vehicles are required annually. In Hawaii, safety inspections for heavy commercial vehicles are required on a semiannual basis. This frequency of motor vehicle safety inspections places an unnecessary burden on businesses that inspect their vehicles regularly in the course of business.

However, your Committee understands the concerns of DOT that more time may be needed to implement the two-year inspection program. Moreover, your Committee realizes that school buses and trolleys undergo the same rigorous and frequent safety inspections as other commercial vehicles and these vehicles should also be required to obtain a safety inspection once a year.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

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 S.B. No. 2422, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2422, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.