STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2961

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 970

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation and Energy, to which was referred H.B. No. 970, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand the authority of the Director of Transportation over required motor vehicle and motor carrier vehicle inspections in the State, including the authority to adopt rules to set fees.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation.

     Your Committee finds that there is a need to upgrade the methods and procedures of state motor vehicle and motor carrier vehicle inspections.  The current safety inspection system for motor vehicles is antiquated and that simplifying certain safety inspection information requirements would allow the motor vehicle safety inspection program to be run more efficiently, thereby improving service and value to the public.

     Your Committee further finds that the Department of Transportation needs the flexibility to make changes to fees for the inspection of motor vehicle carriers without having to introduce legislation each time a fee needs to be changed.  Allowing the Department to change these fees through the administrative rules process would further increase government efficiency.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the inspection fee charged by a motor vehicle inspection station shall be no more than the maximum fee when the fee is established by administrative rules; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Energy that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 970, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 970, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair