Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1607, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to include ocean safety vehicles within the definition of "authorized emergency vehicles", thereby exempting such vehicles from certain traffic regulations when using audible and visual signals.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division of the City and County of Honolulu, the Honolulu Police Department, and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association.

Your Committee finds that, as an island state, Hawaii has a high incidence of marine emergencies, such as drownings, near drownings, rescues, search and recovery operations, and co-response cases with emergency medical services paramedics and other emergency personnel.

In most cases, time is of the essence, and therefore your Committee supports this measure, which will give ocean safety vehicles the same privileges as other authorized emergency vehicles.

Your Committee made a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for accuracy.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1607, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1607, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.