STAND. COM. REP. NO. 14

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 79

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 79 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPECIAL NUMBER PLATES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Allow for the transfer of special number plates upon the transfer or sale of a vehicle; and

(2) Authorize counties to remove an organization from the special number plate program if the organization does not achieve the requisite number of 150 participants within a three-year period.

The Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu testified in support of this measure.

Current statutes require that a seller must remove the special organization number plates and obtain regular license plates prior to selling or transferring the vehicle. If the buyer wishes to have the same special organization number plates on the vehicle just purchased, the buyer must apply for new special organization number plates. This creates a tedious, time-consuming, and costly process that this bill will eliminate.

This bill also authorizes the counties to remove organizations from the special number plates program if they do not have a requisite number of participants. Currently, the City and County of Honolulu (City) uses its time and resources to conduct an inventory, verify, and report quarterly to organizations involved in the special number plate program on the number of plates and organizational emblems that have been distributed. The most recent data collected by the City reveals that of the 24 organizations that participate in the program, 17 have participated in the program for over three years, with 11 of these 17 having fewer than 50 participants, with no recent increase in numbers. By allowing counties to remove organizations that do not have a large number of participants after three years in the program, revenues used for quarterly reporting, conducting of inventories, and verification of information on vehicles enrolled in the program can be saved by the motor vehicle offices throughout the state.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 79 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair