STAND. COM. REP. NO. 382

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 974

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Transportation and Energy and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 974 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PARKING FOR DISABLED PERSONS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to limit the exemption from payment of parking meter fees to vehicles that display a distinguishing parking permit or decal issued to an applicant who presents a certificate of disability that verifies that the applicant is licensed to drive a motor vehicle and cannot reach or operate a parking meter because of a physical disability.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Disability Communication and Access Board, Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13, and two individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hoomana Pono, LLC and one individual.

     Your Committees find that the statewide parking program for persons with disabilities, as established under part III of chapter 291, Hawaii Revised Statutes, pursuant to the federal Uniform System for Parking for Persons with Disabilities, provides individuals with mobility disabilities the ability to travel and park in accessible parking stalls.

     Your Committees further find that the exemption from payment of parking meter fees for persons with disabilities for the first two-and-a-half hours or the maximum time the meter allows, whichever is longer, was a privilege not intended as a benefit for persons with mobility impairments who qualified for a disability parking permit.  It is necessary to distinguish permittees who are licensed drivers and not able to operate parking meters because of a disability from other permittees who are able to operate parking meters. 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by 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 Energy 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. 974, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 974, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair