STAND. COM. REP. NO.  619

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

 

RE:   H.B. No. 738

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Transportation and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 738 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to promote sustainable transportation by:

 

     (1)  Granting procurement priority for fuel cell electric vehicles for state and county vehicle purchases; and

 

     (2)  Amending the definition of "electric vehicles" to include fuel cell electric vehicles for purposes of parking exemptions, high occupancy vehicle lane use, registration, and required parking spaces in places of public accommodation.

 

     The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Department of Transportation, Blue Planet Foundation, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Hawaii Energy Policy Forum, Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association, and three concerned individuals supported this measure.  The State Procurement Office provided comments.

 


     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Amending the definition of "fuel cell electric vehicle" to mean a zero-emission electric vehicle that uses a fuel cell to convert hydrogen gas and oxygen into electricity that is used in a vehicle powertrain for propulsion; and

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 738, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 738, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Labor & Public Employment,

 

 

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair

 

____________________________

HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair