STAND. COM. REP. NO. 233

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 214

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 214 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC TRANSIT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the offense of interference with the operation of a public transit vehicle.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu and Honolulu Police Department.

Your Committee finds that the counties operate multimodal transit services that support the health and well-being of residents and visitors, and provide essential business and activities statewide while also providing reliable transportation services. Existing law establishes the offense of interference with the operator of a public transit vehicle, which involves conduct that injures or threatens the operator of a public transit vehicle. However, conduct that impedes the public transit system is not similarly addressed. To ensure that the operation of public transit vehicles are also protected from intentional damage, this measure establishes the offense of interference with the operation of a public transit vehicle.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the damage of a public transit vehicle resulting in the vehicle's removal of service or unreasonable interruption of a public transit system or service shall be construed as the offense of interference with the operation of a public transit vehicle; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 214, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 214, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair