STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3342

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2446

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 2446, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PARKING FOR DISABLED PERSONS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize:

(1) The Examiner of Drivers to suspend the driver's license of a person who violates certain regulations relating to the use of disability parking permits;

(2) Each county to enact ordinances to enforce the design and construction requirements for the provision of accessible parking spaces, including the establishment of penalties for failure to comply with the ordinances; and

(3) Officials appointed by a county to enter the property of places of public accommodation to enforce violations of the county ordinances.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, and six individuals.

Your Committees find that the Statewide Parking Program for persons with disabilities provides individuals with mobility disabilities the ability to travel and park in accessible parking spaces via the use of parking placards and is administered by the Disability and Communication Access Board. Your Committees further find that currently, improper use and insufficient enforcement impact access for legitimate program participants. This measure will assure appropriate use of placards by expanding enforcement at the municipal level.

Your Committees have amended this measure by restoring a provision from House Bill No. 2446, H.D. 1, that required the court to distribute fifty percent of the fines imposed upon a person who violates certain regulations for the use of disability parking permits to the law enforcement agency that issued the citation.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2446, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2446, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Government Operations,

________________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair