STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2669

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2506

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2506, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CIVIL IDENTIFICATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to more efficiently implement the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act by transferring the civil identification program from the Department of the Attorney General to the Department of Transportation.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the City and County of Honolulu, Division of Motor Vehicle, Licensing and Permits.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development; County Council, County of Maui; and Hawaii Government Employees Association.

     Your Committee finds that current civil identification cards and driver's licenses issued in this State do not meet the requirements of the REAL ID Act.  This will potentially restrict travel and business by preventing holders of those cards from being properly recognized by federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration.  Your Committee further finds that combining the driver's license and civil identification programs will allow county examiners to issue civil identification cards, ensuring compliance with the REAL ID Act by the January 15, 2013 deadline.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Designating the examiner of drivers and any law enforcement officer as persons to whom an individual is required to return or deliver a found identification card;

(2)  Amending section 286-102(c), Hawaii Revised Statutes, to require that receipt of a driver's license requires surrendering all valid identification cards in the person's possession;

(3)  Requiring that all civil service employees whose functions are transferred to a county's examiner of drivers by this measure, shall retain their civil service status pursuant to a plan approved by the State and counties; and

(4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2506, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2506, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair