STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1130

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 158

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 158 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAY SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to repeal the requirement that motor carrier vehicles that include the trailers and pole trailers be inspected and certified once in twelve months and during the month in which the vehicle's certificate of registration is issued.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation (DOT); Honolulu Department of Customer Services; Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; Matson Navigation Company; and Hawaii Transportation Association.

     Act 3, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, enacted the provision that this measure would repeal.  The justification for requiring a safety inspection during the month in which the vehicle's certificate of motor vehicle registration is issued, was to spread out DOT's tremendous workload to inspect some 100,000 vehicles in the month of June, when the annual safety inspections expire on motor carrier vehicles.  (Senate Standing Committee Report No. 54, on SB No. 73, 2005)  Testimony now indicates that the existing law that requires motor carrier companies such as Matson Navigation and Horizon Lines to have their trailers and pole trailers inspected and certified once a year and in the same month in which the vehicle's certificate of registration is issued, has proven to be a logistical burden for the vehicle owners.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to upon approval, and making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 158, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 158, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs,

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair