STAND. COM. REP. NO. 312-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2446

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. 2446 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Examiner of Drivers of a county to suspend the driver's license of a person using a parking permit issued to a deceased person who was deceased when the permit was issued to obtain parking privileges;

(2) Remit fifty percent of a fine for violation of using a parking space reserved for persons with disabilities to the law enforcement agency that issued the citation; and

(3) Authorize each county to enact ordinances to enforce the design and construction requirements relating accessible parking spaces, including the establishment of penalties.

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

Your Committee finds that there is a lack of enforcement for violations of state and federal requirements to provide reserved parking spaces for persons with disabilities. Your Committee further finds that there is an ongoing issue of misuse of disabled parking permits. As a result, persons with disabilities are often unable to find parking that will allow them to safely exit their vehicle.

Your Committee also finds that the counties are uniquely suited to enforce all aspects of state and federal requirements for parking for persons with disabilities, including ensuring a place of public accommodation has an adequate number of designated stalls and that a disabled parking permit is being appropriately used by the person to whom it was issued. Your Committee believes that remitting a portion of any fines collected to the county that issues a citation for a violation of a state or federal regulation regarding parking spaces for persons with disabilities will encourage enforcement of these regulations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2446, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2446, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair