CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 69

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1489

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

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. 1489, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR NATIONAL PARKS,"

 

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 acknowledge and observe the importance of national parks in Hawaii.  More specifically, this measure, among other things:

 

     (1)  Requires the Director of Finance of each county to issue special number plates recognizing Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, or both, to a registered owner of a motor vehicle who completes an application and pays required fees;

 

     (2)  Requires the Director of Finance of the City and County of Honolulu, in consultation with the Directors of Finance of the Counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii, the Chiefs of Police of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii, and the Superintendents of Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, to establish the design of the special number plates;

 

     (3)  Authorizes the Director of Finance of the City and County of Honolulu to establish a special number plate design that either jointly or separately recognizes Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park;

 

     (4)  Establishes design restrictions on the special number plates;

 

     (5)  Authorizes the Director of Finance of each county to determine the most efficient means of directing the revenue generated by the special number plate fees to the respective national park, or its partner nonprofit organization, as appropriate; and

 

     (6)  Authorizes the Directors of Finance of each county to revoke all special number plates issued to commemorate Hawaii's national parks if the total number of registered vehicles that obtain the special number plates is less than 150 within three years of issuance of the first special number plate.

 

     Hawaii is fortunate to have two national parks that preserve the unique environments of the Haleakala, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea volcanoes and their surroundings: Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Through the work of the National Park Service, millions of visitors from around the world have the opportunity to enjoy these parks and learn about the special natural resources and important cultural history of these places.  As 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of these national parks in Hawaii, your Committee on Conference finds that authorizing the issuance of special license plates recognizing Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park would be a fitting tribute to these parks.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2015; and

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

 

     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. 1489, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1489, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

 

____________________________

HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Co-Chair

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Co-Chair