STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1774

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 597

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 597, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE DRIVERS LICENSE REVOCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to extend the written review decision deadline for the issuance of a notice of administrative revocation of a license to operate a vehicle.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Law Enforcement; Department of Transportation; County of Hawaiʻi Office of the Prosecuting Attorney; Hawaiʻi Police Department; and Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition.

Your Committee finds that the Administrative Driver's License Revocation Office (ADLRO) is often unable consider toxicology results before issuing its initial written decision on whether or not to administratively revoke an individual's driver's license. Under existing statutory deadlines, the ADLRO must issue its written decision within eight days of the notice being issued in cases involving alcohol, or twenty-two days of the notice being issued in cases involving drugs. However, many forensic toxicology laboratories are unable to test for blood alcohol content or blood drug content within these deadlines, particularly if the incident occurs on the neighbor islands who must ship specimens to Honolulu for testing. This measure will allow the ADLRO the opportunity to fully consider all relevant evidence in a case by establishing a more reasonable timeframe for the ADLRO to receive and properly evaluate complete toxicology result.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 597, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 597, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair