CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 53-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    H.B. No. 901

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 901, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to assist the Harbors Division of the Department of Transportation (Harbors Division) in enforcing the laws of this State by:

     (1)  Allowing the use of blue and red lamps, reflectors, or illumination devices on approved law enforcement vehicles of the Harbors Division; and

     (2)  Amending the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" to include Harbors Division law enforcement vehicles.

     Under current law, appointed enforcement officers of the Harbors Division are conferred the powers of police officers and are tasked with enforcing the laws and regulations for harbors in the State.  Despite this law enforcement responsibility and authority, the Harbors Division does not have the official and explicit authority to use law enforcement vehicles with emergency response lights.  This measure will explicitly allow the use of emergency response lights on approved law enforcement vehicles of the Harbors Division and assist them in enforcing the laws of the State.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing its effective date from July 1, 2030, to upon its approval.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 901, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 901, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair	____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Co-Chair
____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair