STAND. COM. REP. NO. 686

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 Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 602 entitled:

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

begs 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 qualify for an exemption from the payment of annual vehicle registration fees.

     The Office of Veterans Services submitted written comments in support of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the State should honor its disabled veterans.  State law currently exempts any disabled veteran from the payment of all annual registration fees for one of the veteran's noncommercial vehicles; provided that the veteran satisfies certain conditions.  One of the conditions requires the veteran to be in receipt of disability retirement pay.  Your Committee believes that the removal of this unnecessary condition will allow more disabled veterans to benefit from the exemption.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 602 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair