STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1673-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2245

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2245, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNATTENDED CHILDREN IN MOTOR VEHICLES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect the children of Hawaii by prohibiting operators and adult passengers of motor vehicles from leaving the vehicle with an unattended child inside for five minutes or more.

     The Office of the Governor, Department of the Attorney General, City and County of Honolulu's Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Hot Spot, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Human Services supported the intent of this measure.  The Office of the Public Defender opposed this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill to encourage further discussion by changing the effective dates to:

(1)  January 1, 2112, for provisions prohibiting leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for five minutes or longer; and

(2)  October 1, 2112, for provisions requiring information about penalties for leaving a child unattended in a car be placed on drivers license examinations and provided to persons renting vehicles in the state.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2245, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2245, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair