STAND. COM. REP. NO.  595

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 534

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 534, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to create greater awareness of the importance of child safety seats by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition (Coalition) to educate the public about Hawaii's child passenger restraint law;

 

     (2)  Requiring the Coalition to implement a program to subsidize the cost of booster car seats for families meeting certain income limits;

 

     (3)  Requiring the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) to assist the Coalition to design and implement the subsidy program;

 

     (4)  Requiring HPD to issue and distribute vouchers for subsidies for booster car seats to nonprofit organizations operating child safety seat programs; and

 

     (5)  Appropriating funds to be expended by HPD for the public awareness campaign and subsidy program.

 

     The Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition/SAFE KIDS Hawaii, Occupational Therapy Association of Hawaii, Good Beginnings Alliance and an individual testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Human Services supported the intent of this measure.

 

     Booster seats and safety seats for children have been proven to save lives in motor vehicle crashes.  Unfortunately, although Hawaii has a child booster seat law, many parents and caregivers are often unaware of the law's existence or are unable to meet the requirements of the law due to financial hardship.  Your Committee finds that by educating the public about the importance of booster seats and by subsidizing the cost of these seats for low-income families, the lives of Hawaii's most precious resource, our keiki, will be protected.

 

     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. 534, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair