STAND. COM. REP. NO.  861-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3377

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 3377 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAY SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to promote safety on Hawaii's roadways by, among other things:

     (1)  Requiring the installation of an ignition interlock device (ignition interlock), a device that prevents the starting or operating of the motor vehicle of a person with more than a minimal alcohol concentration, into the motor vehicles of persons who were arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (DUII), while their cases are pending and while their licenses are revoked;

     (2)  Requiring the cost of the installation and maintenance of an ignition interlock to be borne by the defendant;

     (3)  Establishing the Ignition Interlock Special Fund to be administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to fund the costs of installing and operating ignition interlock systems in vehicles of persons who are required to install these devices in their vehicles but who are indigent;

     (4)  Decreasing the revocation period for a person whose record shows three or more prior alcohol enforcement or drug enforcement contacts during the five years preceding the date the notice of administrative revocation was issued, from lifetime revocation to a minimum of five years and a maximum of ten years;

     (5)  Stipulating that a driver under the age of 18 who was arrested for DUII shall be subject to an additional penalty of being prohibited from driving during the period preceding the driver's eighteenth birthday, and shall be subject to the ignition interlock requirement until the license revocation is completed;

     (6)  Allowing the issuance of permits authorizing the use of a vehicle without ignition interlock if the operation of the vehicle is required for employment and specifying when permits shall not be issued;

     (7)  Requiring a one-year license revocation and installation of ignition interlock for a first DUII offense;

     (8)  Increasing license revocation periods for highly intoxicated drivers and repeat DUII offenders;

     (9)  Requiring the Department of Health (DOH) to establish standards and procedures for the certification of ignition interlocks and for vendors who install and maintain them;

     (10) Establishing the Hawaii Ignition Interlock Implementation Task Force (Task Force) to plan for the implementation of ignition interlock provisions contained in this bill and prepare reports and recommendations for the Legislature, including any additional proposed legislation to implement this program; and

     (11) Appropriating unspecified funds for the Task Force to carry out its responsibilities.

     The Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Honolulu Police Department, Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Hawaii, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and Miller Brewing Company supported this bill.  DOH, Attorney General, the Judiciary, DOT, Department of Budget and Finance, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, and Anheuser Busch Companies submitted comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3377 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair