STAND. COM. REP. NO.  240

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 916

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 916 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FUNDING FOR PARKING FOR DISABLED PERSONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to assist with and improve the administration of the parking program for persons with disabilities by:

     (1)  Creating an Accessible Parking Special Account (Special Account) within the Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) Special Fund;

     (2)  Increasing the State Vehicle Registration Fee (Registration Fee) by $1 and requiring the additional $1 to be deposited into the Special Account; and

     (3)  Requiring all costs associated with the statewide Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities (Parking Program) to be appropriated from the Special Account beginning July 1, 2012.

     The Department of Transportation, DCAB, City and County of Honolulu, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.

     With the exception of a small percentage of temporary or replacement disabled parking placards issued for which the user pays a nominal fee of $12, the Parking Program currently relies on general fund appropriations for all of its administrative and operational costs.  Establishing this new, dedicated revenue stream through the imposition of an additional $1 in the Registration Fee will ensure the continuation, quality, and integrity of the Parking Program while allowing general fund appropriations that would otherwise be used for the Parking Program to be used for other programs.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 916 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair