STAND. COM. REP. NO. 203

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 602

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Transportation and Energy, to which was referred S.B. No. 602 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM REGISTRATION FEES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the requirement that a disabled veteran be in receipt of disability retirement pay in order to be exempt from the payment of annual vehicle registration fees.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Veterans Services and two individuals.

     Your Committees find that the State must properly appreciate and honor its disabled veterans.  State law currently provides disabled veterans with an exemption from registration fees for certain vehicles, provided that the disabled veteran meets certain conditions.  Removing the unnecessary condition that the disabled veteran be in receipt of disability retirement pay to qualify for the registration fee exemption would allow more disabled veterans to benefit from this exemption.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Transportation and Energy that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 602 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair