STAND. COM. REP. NO. 334-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1579

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1579 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WINDSHIELD TINTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to lower the minimum light transmittance levels permitted on car window glazing materials from thirty-five percent to twenty-five percent.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from T&T Tinting Specialists, Inc.; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Transportation and Honolulu Police Department.

Your Committee finds that under existing law, trucks, minivans, vans, and buses do not have restrictions on how dark the window tinting on their side and rear windows may be. However, glazing on the side and rear windows of other types of vehicles, like sedans, must allow a light transmittance of thirty-five percent. Your Committee further finds that window tinting can have a measurable impact on reducing heat trapped in a car's interior, allowing vehicle owners to adopt a passive means of addressing increasing global temperatures.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee notes the concerns regarding the inconsistent application of federal guidelines on window glazing for certain types of motor vehicles and requests the Department of Transportation to provide more clarity to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs as to the discrepancies in other state jurisdictions that are not in compliance with the federal guidelines.

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 H.B. No. 1579, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1579, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair