CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 152

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1757

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 3

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir and Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1757, H.D. 1, S.D. 3, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Increase fines for certain violations of vehicle length and gross weight requirements;

 

     (2)  Repeal fines for second, third, and subsequent violations;

 

     (3)  Require, rather than permit the Department of Transportation to establish a process for vehicle weight violators to mail in uncontested fine payments; and

 

     (4)  Exempt the sale of liquid and alcohol fuels from the general excise tax.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the current system in place for disposing of violations of commercial vehicle length and weight restrictions is burdensome on violators, commercial trucking and delivery companies, law enforcement personnel, and the courts.

 

     Your Committee on Conference further finds that permitting operators to mail in uncontested fines saves time and money for everyone involved in the process.  In addition, while the bill eliminates progressive fines and penalties for repeat violators, it doubles the fines and penalties for violation of commercial vehicle length and weight restrictions.  Your Committee on Conference finds that these increased fines are sufficient to deter potential violators and to punish those who commit these violations.

 

     Your Committee on Conference also finds that re-enacting the general excise tax exemption for alcohol fuel will help reduce the cost of gasoline for Hawaii's consumers.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing the exemption of the sale of liquid fuel from the general excise tax and adding language that requires that tax savings from the exemption of alcohol fuels shall be passed on to the consumer; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2007, to allow the Department of Taxation to prepare the necessary tax forms, and repealing the exemption for alcohol fuel on June 30, 2009.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1757, H.D. 1, S.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1757, H.D. 1, S.D. 3, C.D. 1.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Co-Chair

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

BLAKE K. OSHIRO, Co-Chair

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

MARILYN B. LEE, Co-Chair

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair

 

 

____________________________

RON MENOR, Co-Chair