STAND. COM. REP. NO.   746

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 436

      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 Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 436 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote highway safety for State Civil Defense and County Emergency Management personnel by amending the Statewide Traffic Code to include State Civil Defense and County Emergency Management vehicles in the definition of emergency vehicle, thereby requiring vehicles to slow and change lanes when approaching such emergency vehicles that are stopped to conduct official duties.

The Honolulu Police Department, AAA Hawaii, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Defense, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu testified in support and proposed amendments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Including Sheriff Division vehicles in the definition of emergency vehicle; and

(2)  Substituting "Hawaii Emergency Management Agency" for "State Civil Defense" where appropriate to reflect statutory changes to the name of the State Civil Defense agency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 436, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 436, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair