STAND. COM. REP. NO. 459

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 657

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committees on Public Safety and Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 657 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISABLED VETERANS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt disabled veterans from the State's vehicle weight tax and repeal the exemption for disabled veterans from the State's annual vehicle registration fee.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Veterans of Foreign Wars - Department of Hawaiʻi; Hawaii Military Affairs Council; Hawaii National Guard Enlisted Association; and five individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committees find that many disabled veterans in Hawaii live on fixed incomes yet face an ever-rising cost of living, which makes assistance through the reduction of a recurring financial burden particularly helpful.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Transportation that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 657, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 657, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Transportation,

____________________________ DARIUS KILA, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair