STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2130

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2730

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2730 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish driver licensing reciprocity privileges between Hawaii and foreign countries under certain conditions and to repeal the current statute regarding the Driver's License Reciprocity Committee.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Maui Police Department.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committees find that as a gateway location between East and West, Hawaii is an international gathering place where peoples from all over the world migrate to live, work, and attend school.  Hawaii residents also migrate to other countries for the same purposes.  The ability to drive is critical to the quality of life in Hawaii and in many other countries.  This measure facilitates the ability to drive by providing driver licensing reciprocity with other countries under specified conditions.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2730 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair