STAND. COM. REP. NO.  821

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1010

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1010 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMMUTER BENEFITS PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the counties to adopt an ordinance establishing a commuter benefits program consisting of one or more of the following options:

(1)  A program allowing covered employees to elect to exclude from taxable wages, costs incurred for transit passes, vanpool charges, and bicycle commuting costs up to the maximum amount allowed by federal tax law;

(2)  A program in which the employer offers employees a subsidy to offset the monthly costs of commuting via transit, vanpool, or bicycle; or

(3)  Transportation furnished by the employer at no cost or low cost, as determined by the designated authority, to employees in a vanpool, bus, or similar multi-passenger vehicle operated by or for the employer.

The County of Kauai, Hawaii Energy Policy Forum, Ulupono Initiative, Blue Planet Foundation, and several individuals supported this measure.  The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii and an individual opposed this measure.  Enterprise Holdings, LLC commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.  

     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. 1010, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1010, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair