STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3110

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2375

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2375, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOWING PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Uniform Towing Practices for Public Parking Facilities Working Group (Working Group) within the Department of Transportation to examine existing state and county laws, ordinances, rules, and administrative practices relating to towing from public parking facilities and develop recommendations for uniform standards applicable to towing from state and county parking facilities; and

(2) Require a report to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, SurfParking.org, Save Surf Parking Coalition, Free Access Coalition, and eight individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Consumer Protection of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that parking enforcement and towing practices on state and state-leased lands are not administered uniformly and therefore lack uniform consumer protections, transparency, accessibility safeguards, and public accountability. Establishing a working group to review existing laws and ordinances and examine administrative procedures related to towing practices for the development of recommendations for uniform standards applicable to towing from state and county facilities will promote transparency and strengthen public trust.

Your Committee notes the concern raised by the Disability Communication and Access Board that the Board administers the statewide parking program and performs design review of accessible parking spaces for state and local government construction projects and should therefore be included as a member of the working group. Thus, amendments to this measure are necessary to address this concern.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language to include the Executive Director of the Disability and Communication Access Board or their designee on the Working Group;

(2) Inserting language to include a member of the public from each county to be invited by the Director of Transportation on the Working Group; and

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

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. 2375, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2375, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair