STAND. COM. REP. NO. 928-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1411

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1411, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require that the transferee's and transferor's addresses be provided on the certificate of ownership when the title to a motor vehicle is transferred;

(2) Clarify that the signature of the transferee and signature of the transferor each serve as an attestation by that respective party as to the validity of the information on the certificate of ownership; and

(3) Subject a party to penalties for providing false or fraudulent information.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Environmental Management of the County of Hawai‘i; Department of Finance of the County of Kaua‘i; Kauai Police Department; Hawaii Council of Mayors; Nanawale Community Association, Inc.; and ten individuals.

Your Committee finds that abandoned vehicles on public streets create widespread environmental issues and unsafe and unhealthy conditions for residents of the State. Your Committee further finds that the prevalent issue of abandoned vehicles is exacerbated by fraud occurring in the vehicle title transfer process, which creates difficulty in locating the proper owners of abandoned vehicles. This measure is intended to reduce the amount of fraud in the vehicle title transfer process, which will remedy a primary contributor to the prevalent issue of abandoned vehicles facing all of the counties.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that a person who provides false or fraudulent information is subject to a fine of no less than $5 and no more than $1,000; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1411, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1411, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair