STAND. COM. REP. NO.  305-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2953

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. 2953 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to simplify documentation requirements for vehicles using an inter-island ferry service by providing certain vehicle identification requirement exemptions when traveling on an inter-island ferry.

     The Hawaii Superferry testified in support of this bill.  Catrala Hawaii provided comments.

     Currently, shipping motor vehicles between islands requires the shipper to present identification, a current certification of registration and proof of insurance for the vehicle being shipped, and a notarized letter from the registered owner or legal owner of the motor vehicle being shipped if the shipper is not the legal or registered owner of the vehicle.  However, individuals using the services of an inter-island ferry are oftentimes not the registered or legal owner of the vehicle.  These vehicles may be owned by businesses or other family members who have authorized the use of these vehicles by these individuals.  Nevertheless, under current law, these individuals must provide notarized letters to inter-island ferry officials before being allowed on board, a tedious and burdensome requirement.

     Your Committee finds that the requirements for the inter-island shipping of motor vehicles were put in place long before a car-carrying, inter-island ferry service was ever envisioned for Hawaii and was meant to primarily serve as a deterrent to the shipping of stolen vehicles.  However, procedures that include identifying a vehicle through its vehicle identification number, make, model, year, and color, along with identification requirements for the driver and all passengers in the vehicle, serve as a sufficient deterrent for the shipment of stolen vehicles on an inter-island ferry.  As such, providing an exemption from certain vehicle identification requirements when traveling on an inter-island ferry deserves further consideration.

     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. 2953 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair