STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1609

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 601

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 601, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TRAFFIC CODE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the statewide traffic code to allow for the county chiefs of police to designate county employees to issue citations for traffic violations.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, County of Kaua‘i, National Tropical Botanical Garden, and one individual. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committees find that a shortage of police officers has been reported in every county of the State. Your Committees further find that because the Highway Division, unlike the Airport and Highway Divisions of the Department of Transportation, has no enforcement branch, it is forced to rely on county police departments to enforce traffic and safety violations. For this reason, enforcement of special no stopping, standing, or parking zones throughout the State is very limited. To address this critical shortage of personnel capable of enforcing these provisions, this measure will provide additional persons with the authority to issue traffic citations, thereby improving traffic safety in the State.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making it effective upon its approval.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 601, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 601, H.D. 2, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair