STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2143

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2138

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2138 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the definition of "neighborhood electric vehicle" as used in chapter 291C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to mean, among other things, that the vehicle has a fully laden weight as specified by the manufacturer of less than 3,000, rather than 1,800, and that the vehicle is designed to carry a maximum of six, rather than four, persons.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services.

     Your Committees find that the use of electric vehicles is gradually increasing in Hawaii.  Therefore, laws need to keep abreast with the latest developments in electric vehicles.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Aligning the definitions of the term "neighborhood electric vehicle" in sections 286-2 and 291C-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by:

         (A)  For the definition in section 286-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, increasing the maximum gross vehicle weight rating requirement to 3,000 pounds; and

         (B)  For the definition in section 291C-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, deleting the requirement regarding the maximum number of passengers the vehicle is designed to carry, amending the requirement regarding number of wheels in contact with the ground, and amending the weight rating requirement; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2138, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2138, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair