STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2686

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 377

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 Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 377 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase all fines for traffic violations relating to the operation or ownership of a vehicle by twenty percent.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Public Defender.

Your Committee finds that the current penalties for traffic violations relating to the operation or ownership of a vehicle are not strict enough to adequately discourage repeat offenders. The purpose of this measure is to increase traffic fines by twenty percent to facilitate harsher consequences on these violations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the twenty percent increase in fines and instead imposing mandatory community service for a third or subsequent moving traffic violation within a one-year period;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 377, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 377, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair