STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2790

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3272

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3272, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Air Noise and Safety Task Force; and

(2) Require the Director of Transportation to adopt rules to require tour aircraft operators to report details of each flight taken by the tour aircraft operation on a monthly basis.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, O‘ahu Tour Helicopter Safety and Noise Inter-Action Group, and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Association for Justice and Jack Harter Helicopters.

Your Committees find that excessive noise from tour aircrafts, including helicopters flying over residential areas is a serious detriment to the health and quality of life of those residents. Federal regulations have established rules to mitigate this problem, but it is in the interest of the State to monitor and ensure that these rules and regulations are being followed. This measure forms the Air Noise and Safety Task Force and requires tour aircraft operators to file appropriate reports and disclosures when renewing their licenses so that the State can monitor their compliance with Federal rules and regulations.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Air Noise and Safety Task Force to recommend a minimum general liability coverage amount for tour aircraft operators to be considered for enactment during the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature; and

(2) 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 Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3272, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3272, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair