STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1192

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 931

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 931, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOPEDS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to exempt three-wheeled mopeds designed to carry a driver and a passenger seated side by side from the operator and passenger restrictions placed on two-wheeled mopeds.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from Adventure Rentals, LLC and Shamrock Importers, LLC.  Testimony in opposition was received from the Department of Transportation (DOT).  Comments were received from the Honolulu Department of Customer Services.

 

     The intent of this measure is to allow three-wheeled mopeds that are designed to carry a passenger on highways, streets, and roadways in the same way as two-wheeled mopeds.  Under existing law, two or three-wheeled mopeds are allowed to be driven on highways, streets, and roadways, and on bikeways when bicycle lanes and paths are provided.  Testimony indicated that three-wheeled mopeds that are designed to carry a passenger are generally larger than two-wheeled mopeds and present safety issues that may not be covered under existing laws that regulate two-wheeled mopeds. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting language that was mutually agreed upon by moped businesses and the DOT as follows:

 

     (1)  To require liability and property damage insurance on three-wheeled mopeds; and

 

     (2)  To restrict three-wheeled mopeds to roadways with speed limits of 35 mph or less. 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 931, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 931, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair