STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2589

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2896

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 S.B. No. 2896 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PARKING SPACES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require each:

(1) Parking lot in the State having public paid parking spaces in the State to accept payment of parking fees by credit card and debit card;

(2) Parking meter in the State that collects parking fees for any public paid parking space to be maintained in working order to accept payment by cash, credit card, and debit card; and

(3) County to adopt ordinances to enforce these requirements, including the establishment of penalties for failure to comply.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees find that confusion surrounding credit card payments for public parking is a consistent problem for the State. Your Committees further find that parking meters cost the City and County of Honolulu $200,000 per month in the first half of 2023 due to a lack of enforcement of card payment. This measure will ensure proper enforcement of parking meters by requiring all public paid parking spaces to accept credit or debit card.

Your Committees note that during the public hearing on this measure, discussion occurred regarding the requirement of parking meters to accept cash. Your Committees respectfully request that subsequent Committees look at whether of not there is an issue with requiring that all parking meters accept cash payment as this measure progresses in the legislative process.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Adding language to require the State and each county to submit annual reports to the Legislature regarding their progress implementing this measure; and

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

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 S.B. No. 2896, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2896, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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