STAND. COM. REP. NO. 127

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 998

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. 998 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to grant voting rights to members of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Board of Directors who were appointed by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 1186.

Your Committee finds that the HART rail project will provide an efficient and reliable transportation alternative for Honolulu's congested urban corridor. The elevated rail system will take more than 40,000 vehicles off the road every weekday by the year 2030. However, many critical and timely decisions are periodically impeded by quorum requirements and the disparity between voting and non-voting members of the Board of Directors. This measure will improve the efficiency of the HART Board by granting voting rights to two members who currently are statutorily prohibited from voting.

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. 998 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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CHRIS LEE, Chair