STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1197

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 657

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 657, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WAIVER OF ABANDONED VEHICLE PUBLIC AUCTION REQUIREMENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the State to waive the requirement for public auction of abandoned vehicles.

     Waiver would be allowed if the vehicle is missing major components or is so materially damaged so as to render the vehicle inoperable, and if the registration period has expired.

     Your Committees received testimony from the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu and Windward Ahupua‘a Alliance.

     Your Committees find that waiving the public auction requirements under certain conditions will result in a more expeditious removal of abandoned vehicles from storage facilities and that this measure continues to preserve a motor vehicle owners rights by continuing to require public notice of the vehicle's disposal.  Due to the number of abandoned vehicles removed from our islands' roads each day and the lengthy notice and public auction requirements currently established for the disposal of these vehicles, tow companies are experiencing shortages of valuable storage space.

     According to testimony of the Licensing Administrator of the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu, based upon experience, such vehicles are never sold at public auction due to the condition of these vehicles.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 657, H.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair