STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3876

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1688

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1688, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the assessment and permitted uses of the additional motor vehicle registration fee.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Subjects U-drive motor vehicles to the same additional motor vehicle registration fee as all other motor vehicles;

(2) Authorizes each county to use this additional motor vehicle registration fee revenue to, among other things, mitigate and address the impacts of tourism-related traffic congestion; and

(3) Renames the highway beautification and disposal of abandoned or derelict vehicles revolving fund as the highway beautification, abandoned vehicle, and tourism-related traffic congestion revolving fund.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the County of Kauai, Department of Finance of the County of Kauai, Enterprise Holdings, Hawaii Council of Mayors, Hawaii State Association of Counties, Hertz, and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from Maui Chamber of Commerce and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that by providing an additional source of revenue and authorizing targeted expenditures, this measure will assist the counties' efforts to more effectively address the issues of abandoned and derelict motor vehicles and tourism-related traffic congestion.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing to an unspecified amount the maximum amount that a county, by ordinance, may increase the additional motor vehicle registration fee.

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 H.B. No. 1688, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1688, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair