STAND. COM. REP. NO.  430

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 977

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 977 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to conform Hawaii laws relating to commercial driver licensing to the most recent federal regulations.  Specifically, among other things, this measure:

(1)  Adds a new section to chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to commercial learner's permits, changes existing references to "instruction permits" to the updated term "commercial learner's permit," and includes commercial learner's permits in certain regulatory provisions;

(2)  Requires surrendered commercial driver's licenses to be shredded;

(3)  Adds and amends definitions to conform to federal regulations;

(4)  Prohibits an employer from allowing an employee to drive a commercial motor vehicle without a current permit or without proper license restrictions and endorsements;

(5)  Modifies the testing method to allow only the use of English during the skills test;

(6)  Establishes a minimum age of 18 years for a commercial learner's permit holder and amends standards and processes for issuing a commercial learner's permit;

(7)  Provides for inter-state cooperation among state licensing authorities for information-sharing and license recognition;

(8)  Allows a digitized or black and white laser engraved photograph to fulfill the photograph requirement of the application; and

(9)  Amends existing and adds new commercial driver's licenses restriction codes.

The Department of Transportation and the Hawaii Transportation Association supported this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to promote further discussion; and

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

     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. 977, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 977, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair