STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1896-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 1211

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1211, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR CARRIERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to avoid a conflict with federal law by repealing the exemption for certain vehicles used by farmers from the Motor Carrier Safety Law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the federal Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, P.L. 112-141, allows the withholding of federal funds to states that fail to adopt the covered farm vehicle exemption under various classes of laws regarding motor vehicles. Your Committee further finds that the Department of Transportation adopted the federal exemption through administrative rules. However, the existing statutory exemption for vehicles used by farmers conflicts with the federal exemption. As a result of this conflict, the State risks losing federal funds that provide assistance to the State in carrying out its commercial motor vehicle safety program. This measure repeals the existing statutory exemption for vehicles used by farmers, which removes the conflict with federal law.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1211, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair