STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2729

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2094

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2094, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DRIVER LICENSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to permit the examiner of drivers to waive the test of knowledge of the rules of the road for applicants holding a valid driver's license from another state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, a province of the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, or any of the federal government's political subdivisions, territories, or commonwealths.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Transportation and two private individuals.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Customer Services, City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committee finds that since the majority of jurisdictions have adopted uniform motor vehicle laws, this measure would allow for reciprocity similar to that currently permitted for commercial driver's licenses.  Section 286-236(g), Hawaii Revised Statutes, allows the examiner to waive the test of knowledge if there is a valid license from another state, Mexico, or a province in Canada.

     Your Committee recognizes that the previous committee, the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, extended the waiver for applicants holding a valid driver's license from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and any of the federal government's political subdivisions, territories, or commonwealths.  Testimony submitted by the City and County of Honolulu indicated that the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau are not participants of the United Nations Convention of Road Traffic; thus, a valid driver's license issued from any of these three nations are not recognized as being valid for operation of a vehicle in any United States jurisdiction.  However, your Committee recognizes that a request has been made to encourage the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau to accede to the United Nations Convention of Road Traffic, which will address the concerns raised by the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date of this measure from effective upon its approval to July 1, 2050 to encourage further discussion on this matter.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2094, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2094, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair