STAND. COM. REP. NO. 485

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1272

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1272 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOWING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require towing truck operators to obtain a towing license; and

(2) Establish the Towing Authority within the Department of Transportation to issue towing licenses and regulate towing operations.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from The Tow Truck, A Tow Truck in Paradise, and one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Consumer Protection of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Your Committees find that while existing law has attempted to regulate the towing industry's predatory practices, motor vehicle owners are still facing fraudulent towing situations. Therefore, your Committees recognize the need to ensure strong consumer protections.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Prohibiting the act of vehicle immobilization without a valid towing license;

(2) Specifying that a suspension, revocation, or nonrenewal of a license may occur if the applicant or licensee has a device with the intent to immobilize a parked vehicle;

(3) Clarifying that the counties are prohibited from enacting any ordinance that provides less consumer protection than state law;

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

(5) 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 Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1272, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1272, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair