STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2437

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2476

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Energy, to which was referred S.B. No. 2476 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 change the motor vehicle inspection safety check from an annual requirement to a biennial requirement for motor vehicles that have a model age of less than ten years of age and doubles the motor vehicle inspection safety check for the two-year motor vehicle inspection safety check.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Transportation and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that annual motor vehicle safety inspections have become an undue hardship on Hawaii's residents. However, your Committee received testimony from the Department of Transportation that requiring a safety check every two years as opposed to every year could endanger people on the roadways. The Department of Transportation testified that it is working on administrative rules that are aimed at reducing the hardship related to safety inspections. Your Committee finds that once the administrative rules are adopted by the Department of Transportation consideration should be given to codifying some of these rules in the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Your Committee requests that your Committee on Ways and Means further examine the Department of Transportation's proposed administrative rules that:

(1) Provide the Department of Transportation with the authority to flag vehicles when there is evidence that the vehicle was not inspected in accordance with the rules;

(2) Require a test for moped inspector applicants;

(3) Prohibit inspectors from modifying vehicles to put it out of conformance with safety inspection rules;

(4) Examine the fees associated with the safety inspections;

(5) Provide additional information on the documents issued to vehicle owners when the vehicle fails inspection; and

(6) Allow electronic proof of insurance for an inspection;

and determine if these proposed administrative rules should be codified in statute rather than go through the administrative process.

As such and to encourage further discussion on this issue, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting language to require the Department of Transportation to adopt rules for certifying vehicles that have undergone a safety inspection.

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 S.B. No. 2476, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2476, 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,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair