STAND. COM. REP. NO. 255

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 Transportation and Culture and the Arts, 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 Law Enforcement, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Maui, and Hawaiʻi County Police Department.

Your Committee finds that in cases involving the operation of a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant where a breath or blood specimen is provided by a defendant, it is important for the results of the chemical analysis to be considered in any decision‑making on whether to revoke the defendant's drivers license. However, only a small percentage of forensic toxicology laboratories are able to test for blood alcohol content within six days, and given that all of the specimens from Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai counties must first be shipped to Honolulu for testing, your Committee believes that additional time is needed to account for these shipments before requiring the Administrative Drivers License Revocation Office to issue its initial written decision on whether to revoke an individual's drivers license. This measure will enhance the quality and accuracy of administrative review decisions while ensuring that law enforcement's efforts to maintain road safety are supported by complete scientific evidence.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts 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 Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

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CHRIS LEE, Chair