STAND. COM. REP. NO.  231-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2343

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2343 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to enhance public safety and law enforcement by improving the expeditiousness and efficiency of Hawaii's traffic citation system by:

     (1)  Authorizing the assessment of a $4 administrative fee on      all citations issued for traffic code violations for the      establishment of an electronic citation system (System);

     (2)  Establishing an Electronic Citation System Special Fund        (Fund);

     (3)  Specifying that an equal share of the administrative fee      be divided between the county police department that             issued the citation and the Judiciary to establish the          System; and

     (4)  Exempting the Fund from the standard deduction from            special funds taken to defray administrative and other         expenses incurred by the department responsible for the        operations supported by the particular special fund.

     The Honolulu Police Department testified in support of this bill.  The Judiciary and Catrala Hawaii supported the intent of the bill.

     Currently, law enforcement officers issue paper traffic citations that must be manually transmitted to the courts.  This method is time consuming and lacks efficiency.  According to the Judiciary, although motorists are allowed to pay various traffic citations electronically, they must wait until the citation is entered into the computer system, which could take 13 days or longer.  This is because paper citations need to be transported to the court and the information manually entered into a computer. Establishing a System will allow for citation information and data to be transmitted in a timely manner and entered into the computer system more accurately and efficiently.

     However, your Committee understands the concerns raised by Catrala-Hawaii that U-drive companies already pay an established fee for citations received by their renters and lessees.  Moreover, your Committee notes that the Judiciary raised concerns regarding the specificity of the disbursement of their share of the fee and the short time frame for the implementation of this new program.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Providing that U-drive companies shall only be                 responsible for the administrative fees they are                   currently paying for citations received by their renters      and lessees;

     (2)  Specifying that the portion of the administrative fee              due the Judiciary be disbursed to the Judiciary Computer      Special Fund;

     (3)  Amending the date the administrative fee can start being      collected to July 1, 2009; and

     (4)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2009, to allow      more time for proper implementation of the new program.

     Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 H.B. No. 2343, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2343, 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