STAND. COM. REP. NO.  352-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3023

      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 Committees on Public Safety & Military Affairs and Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 3023 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVER'S LICENSE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ease the process of license renewal for members of the United States (U.S.) armed forces by allowing an active service member to apply for renewal of driver's license two years prior to the date of expiration to lessen the chances of the service member's license expiring while deployed.

     A concerned individual supported the intent of this bill.  The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Customer Services opposed this measure.  The Department of Transportation and Department of Defense submitted comments.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by replacing its contents with provisions that:

(1)  Extends the term of a license from six to eight years for persons between the ages of 25 and 71;

(2)  Reduces the term of a license from six to four years for persons between the ages of 19 and 24;

(3)  Authorizes the examiner of drivers to issue a license for an unspecified, shorter period of time if the examiner determines a person's ability to drive is impaired due to a physical condition;

(4)  Repeals provisions that would allow a person whose driving ability was determined to be impaired to:

(A)  Obtain certification from a physician confirming the person's ability to drive is not impaired by their physical condition; or

(B)  Correct the physical impairment, or is able to drive safely by using a vehicle adapted to overcome the physical impairment;

and

(5)  Allows the license of a member of the U.S. armed forces that has expired while that person was on active federal service outside of the country to remain valid for 90 days after the person returns to the U.S..

Your Committees have also made technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety & Military Affairs and Transportation that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3023, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3023, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety & Military Affairs and Transportation,

____________________________ JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair

____________________________ CINDY EVANS, Chair