STAND. COM. REP. NO. 971

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 597

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 597 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Transportation, Department of Law Enforcement, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Kauaʻi, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Maui, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Police Department, Honolulu Police Department, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee finds that existing law requires that the Hawaii Administrative Drivers License Revocation Office is required to mail a written review decision to the driver no later than eight days after the date the notice was issued, usually the arrest date, in a case involving an alcohol-related offense, or twenty-two days after the date the notice was issued in a case involving a drug-related offense. Your Committee further finds that these are calendar days that may also include long weekends. Your Committee believes that the current number of days is not sufficient, considering transport times, laboratories' hours of operation, and the time it takes for testing of toxicology samples. This measure will ensure that the Hawaii Administrative Drivers License Revocation Office has the evidence it needs when reviewing impaired driving cases.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 597 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair