STAND. COM. REP. NO. 212-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1933

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1933 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOBRIETY CHECKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Sobriety Checkpoint Special Fund to provide funding to county law enforcement agencies for staffing for sobriety checks;

(2) Increase the annual motor vehicle registration fee and require that amount to be deposited into the Sobriety Checkpoint Special Fund; and

(3) Appropriate funds into the Sobriety Checkpoint Special Fund and out of as grants-in-aid for the counties.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Department of Law Enforcement; and Intoxalock. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance.

Your Committee finds that, according to the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration, sobriety checkpoints are an effective means to deter and enforce drunk driving when combined with publicity. Your Committee further finds that often law enforcement agencies incur overtime, personnel, and other increased operational expenses to conduct these sobriety checkpoints. This measure provides a mechanism to support the use of sobriety checkpoints, which are a fundamental tool in the enforcement and deterrence of intoxicated driving offenses.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that $1 from the annual motor vehicle registration fee shall be allocated to the Sobriety Checkpoint Special Fund;

(2) Increasing the annual motor vehicle registration fee from $46 to $47;

(3) Expanding the use of the Sobriety Checkpoint Special Fund to include the processing of persons arrested as part of sobriety checkpoints;

(4) Removing the requirement that the counties match funds appropriated on a dollar-for-dollar basis; and

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee notes questions raised during testimony about the Department of Transportation's ability to expand its existing support for sobriety checkpoints using existing funding sources. Your Committee respectfully requests the Department of Transportation to provide further information to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, should it choose to deliberate on this measure, on whether the Department already possesses the financial capacity to increase the number of sobriety checkpoints in the State.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1933, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1933, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair