STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1424

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 768

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 768, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to facilitate the enforcement of environmental laws by:

     (1)  Allowing the use of blue and red lights on approved enforcement vehicles of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE); and

     (2)  Including DOCARE vehicles in the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" in the Traffic Code.

     DLNR, Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Honolulu Police Department, and numerous DOCARE Officers testified in support of this bill.

     Under State law, DOCARE officers are provided with full police powers to enforce all State laws and county ordinances within all lands and waters of the State.  However, patrol vehicles currently used by DOCARE are not authorized to use emergency lights on their vehicles.  The use of these blue and red lights would not only act as a deterrent to criminal activity on State lands but also provides safety for DOCARE officers as they are relatively easily identified as law enforcement personnel with the use of these lights.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2007, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 768, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 768, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair