STAND. COM. REP. NO.2302

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2601

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 S.B. No. 2601 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to define "electric personal assistive mobility device" and to exclude such devices from state laws regulating traffic and motor vehicles.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Segway LLC. The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Honolulu City and County Police Department submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

Your Committee finds that the device that is the subject of this measure is a recent invention by Dean Kamen, who has gained renown for other inventions during the past thirty years. The "electric personal assistive mobility device" is a two-wheeled, self-balancing device that travels up to fifteen miles per hour.

Your Committee has taken into account the concerns raised by the Honolulu Police Department and the DOT, but supports this measure, at least for the purposes of further discussion. Your Committee believes that further review is needed to determine whether this device should be subject to general traffic and motor vehicle laws.

Your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with a single section to be inserted in chapter 291C, which defines the device and establishes lawful uses.

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 S.B. No. 2601, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2601, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair