STAND. COM. REP. NO.2979

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2349

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 2349, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purposes of this measure are to expand the privileges of authorized emergency vehicles to include driving on the shoulder of a roadway and in controlled-access highways, and to remove the condition that officers use audible and visual signals when using their vehicles in an emergency manner.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu City and County Police Department. The Department of Transportation submitted comments.

Your Committee agrees that our law enforcement personnel require the ability to respond to emergencies, including exemptions from general driving laws while responding to such situations. Therefore, your Committee supports this measure, to better equip law enforcement agencies to respond to emergency situations.

Your Committee amended this measure to expand the privileges granted by section 291C-26, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), regarding exemption from certain driving laws, to cover all vehicles used by police officers for a police function.

Your Committee also amended this measure to reinstate subsection (c) of section 291C-26, HRS, which requires use of authorized audible and visual signals when law enforcers operate their vehicles under an exemption from the State's driving laws. As amended, audible and visual signals will only be required when the vehicle is being operated on the shoulder, median, or in a controlled-access highway.

Your Committee further amended this measure to allow officers on police motorcycles to take advantage of the exemptions without requiring any signals.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2349, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2349, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations,

____________________________

CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair