STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2212
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2245
Honorable Colleen Hanabusa
President of the Senate
Twenty-Fourth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2008
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2245 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNATTENDED CHILDREN IN MOTOR VEHICLES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to protect the children of Hawaii by prohibiting operators and adult passengers of motor vehicles from leaving the vehicle unattended with a child inside.
Specifically, this measure makes leaving an unattended child inside a vehicle for five minutes or more a violation of the statewide traffic code for which a violator may be fined. In addition, the measure requires that knowledge of the prohibition be tested on the driver's license examination and that rental car companies provide notice of the prohibition to renters.
Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of the Governor; Department of Human Services; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney; Department of the Attorney General; and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Office of the Public Defender.
Your Committee finds that this measure supports the State's general policy that children should not be left unattended in vehicles by giving law enforcement the ability take concrete action to protect a child left unattended inside a motor vehicle.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2245 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,
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____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair |
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