STAND. COM. REP. NO.911

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1657

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1657 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF PARKING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a Parking for Persons With Disabilities Special Fund.

The bill also raises the state vehicle registration fee by seventy cents, the proceeds of which are deposited into the Parking for Persons With Disabilities Special Fund.

Your Committee finds that thirty-three thousand removable windshield placards and temporary removable windshield placards were issued in 2000 by the four counties to qualified persons with disabilities. The counties have assumed the costs of this program through nominal fees paid by applicants. Recently, however, the federal courts have ruled against assessing disabled persons such fees based upon the Americans with Disabilities Act, in effect terminating the program.

This bill provides a budgetary mechanism to raise the funds necessary to continue this program by increasing the state vehicle registration fee by seventy cents. The dedicated fees are then deposited in the Parking for Persons With Disabilities Special Fund to pay for the administration of the statewide parking for disabled persons program.

Your Committee has amended the bill by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion, and by making a few technical nonsubstantive changes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1657, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1657, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair