STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2986

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2749

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2749, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NOISE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit commercial vehicles, excluding those operating in response to an emergency, from making pickups from, or deliveries to, business establishments during certain times of the day and within a certain proximity of single-family residences in the performance of the vehicles' pickup or delivery; and

(2) Establish fines.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawai‘i Transportation Association; Hawai‘i Restaurant Association; Retail Merchants of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance LLC; American Beverage Association; Matson Navigation Company, Inc.; Hawai‘i Food Industry Association; and Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i.

Your Committees find that noise pollution from commercial vehicles has adverse effects on human health and quality of life, especially in residential areas. Noise pollution has become a major concern for the residents of Kailua, which is largely a joint commercial and residential community. In Kailua and other similar neighborhoods that are immediately adjacent to certain businesses, residents regularly experience excessively loud noises as a result of commercial vehicle operation between the hours of midnight and 4:00 a.m. These activities include trash collection, food deliveries, and the use of loud mechanical equipment to service certain businesses. At times, these operations can occur continuously, causing consistent harm, stress, and disruption during a time when residents are needing sleep to prepare for work or school. To restore health and well-being to all affected communities, this measure is necessary to prohibit pickups and deliveries by commercial vehicles during certain times in residential areas to reduce noise pollution and improve the quality of life for the State's residents.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2749, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair