STAND. COM. REP. NO. 87

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 755

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 755 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require lessors of rental motor vehicles to include in the rental agreement an option for the lessee of a motor vehicle to contribute money to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for the preservation of the environment.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and The Trust for Public Land. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Avis Budget Group and Enterprise Holdings.

Your Committee finds that the protection of natural resources is critical to the future of the State's tourism industry. However, the Department of Land and Natural Resources lacks the necessary funding to properly carry out its critical role as guardian of the environment. Other states have successfully used voluntary contribution check-off boxes to raise money for the protection of their natural resources. A similar program in Hawaii would raise funds for the State's own environmental management.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to January 1, 2023, to allow rental car companies time to update their processes to conform to this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 755, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 755, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means.

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

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CHRIS LEE, Chair