STAND. COM. REP. NO.  381

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 760

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Transportation and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 760 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide the opportunity for persons renting cars in Hawaii to make a voluntary contribution toward the protection of Hawaii's unique environment by:

     (1)  Requiring lessors of rental motor vehicles to include an option to the lessee in the motor vehicle agreement to contribute a sum to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for the preservation of the environment; and

     (2)  Depositing the contributions equally into the Natural Area Reserve Fund and the Land Conservation Fund.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species; Historic Hawai‘i Foundation; The Nature Conservancy; Sierra Club, Hawai‘i Chapter; and two concerned individuals supported this measure.  EAN Holdings, LLC opposed this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the language of the option shall clearly state that the option is voluntary and does not affect the rental agreement;

     (2)  Adding a three-year sunset provision;

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 760, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 760, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair