CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 103

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2011

RE:    S.B. No. 1329

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to increase the annual State vehicle weight tax for the various weight categories of vehicles, and to make an unspecified appropriation for each fiscal year of the next fiscal biennium to fund the operation and maintenance of the state highway system.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the Department of Transportation must provide a safe, efficient, and effective land transportation system for the movement of people and goods.  However, the maintenance of state highways has not kept pace with the State's growing economy, land use development patterns, and increased demand for travel.  Land transportation programs and projects will continue to deteriorate as demand for travel continues to increase.  Concomitantly, the costs to manage, construct, and administer the transportation system continue to increase.

     This measure improves the Department of Transportation's ability to construct, operate, and maintain the state highway system, including funding capital improvement projects and special maintenance programs.  Failure to maintain state highways could result in a loss of federal funding for highways, including state matching funds for highway federal-aid programs.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the appropriation to fund the operation and maintenance of the state highway system, as that is included in the state budget; and

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2011.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Co-Chair	____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair
____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Co-Chair
	____________________________ RONALD D. KOUCHI, Co-Chair