STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1517

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1489

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1489, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR NATIONAL PARKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the issuance of special license plates to observe the importance of Hawaii's two national parks.

     Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Authorizes the issuance of a special license plate commemorating Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to be used on a passenger motor vehicle in lieu of the regulation passenger motor vehicle number plate;

(2)  Specifies that the special license plate contain words or an image that recognize the respective national park;

(3)  Requires the special license plate be similar to regulation license plates; and

(4)  Authorizes that additional fees be charged for the special license plates.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Mayor of the County of Maui and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that 2016 will mark the centennial anniversary of both Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which together originally comprised Hawaii National Park, America's fifteenth national park.  Authorizing the issuance of special number plates will help to commemorate and recognize Hawaii's two national parks, in addition to providing the two national parks with an additional source of needed revenue.

     Your Committee further finds that specialty license plate programs established by other states generate a steady revenue stream for national parks.  Most states charge up to an additional $40 per license plate with a similar annual renewal fee.  These additional fees are split between the government department issuing the license plates and the national park or a national park partner non-profit organization.

     Your Committee notes concerns have been raised that the measure presently lacks critical elements, including a clear mechanism to charge additional fees for registered owners who choose to use a special number plate, a method to transfer revenue from additional fees to the national parks, and assignment of responsibility to implement the program.  Section 249-9.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides for the design and issuance of special number plates by the counties.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure to incorporate many of the provisions of that section, by:

(1)  Establishing that the Director of Finance of each county shall issue the special number plates for an additional fee;

(2)  Requiring that the special number plates be issued only to the registered owner of the motor vehicle;

(3)  Requiring the Director of Finance of the City and County of Honolulu, in consultation with the Directors of Finance of the Counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii, the Chiefs of Police of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii, and the Superintendents of Haleakala National Park and Volcanoes National Park, establish the design of the special number plates;

(4)  Authorizing the Director of Finance of the City and County of Honolulu to establish a combined special number plate design commemorating Haleakala National Park and Volcanoes National Park or two special number plate designs separately commemorating the two national parks;

(5)  Establishing design restrictions on the special number plates;

(6)  Authorizing the Director of Finance of each county to determine the most efficient means of directing the revenue generated by the special number plate fees to the respective national park, or its partner non-profit organization, as appropriate;

(7)  Authorizing the Directors of Finance of each county to revoke all special number plates issued to commemorate Hawaii's national parks if the total number of registered vehicles that obtain the special number plates is less than one hundred fifty within three years of issuance of the first special number plate; and

(8)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style, clarity, and consistency.

Your Committee believes that operational issues raised by this measure need further examination and requests that the respective subject matter committees consider these concerns as the measure moves into conference.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1489, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1489, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair