STAND. COM. REP. NO. 963

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 916

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 916 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FUNDING FOR PARKING FOR DISABLED PERSONS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to assist with and improve the administration of the Statewide Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities by:

 

     (1)  Creating an Accessible Parking Special Account within the Disability and Communication Access Board Special Fund;

 

     (2)  Increasing the state vehicle registration fee by $1 and requiring the additional $1 to be deposited into the Accessible Parking Special Account; and

 

     (3)  Requiring all costs associated with the Parking Program for persons with disabilities to be appropriated from the Accessible Parking Special Account beginning July 1, 2012.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Disability and Communication Access Board; City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services; and four individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committees find that the Statewide Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities is a federally required program.  Your Committees further find that, with the exception of a small percentage of temporary or replacement placards, the program is currently funded entirely through the General Fund.

 

     This measure proposes to create a new revenue stream through the imposition of an additional $1 to the state vehicle registration fee.  Your Committees additionally find that this increase will ensure the continued existence of the Statewide Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities, and will permit General Fund appropriations to be expended elsewhere.

 

     According to testimony of the Disability and Communication Access Board, this measure is estimated to provide approximately $1,100,000 annually for the Accessible Parking Special Account.  Your Committees note that the Disability and Communication Access Board is expected to provide your Committee on Ways and Means with additional information regarding the approximate annual budget of the Parking Program.

 

     Your Committees also find that the state highway system is in need of repairs.  Your Committees note that if funds in the Accessible Parking Special Account are in excess of the Disability and Communication Access Board's operating expenses at the end of each fiscal year, it would be appropriate to transfer the excess funds into the State Highway Fund, to better address state infrastructure needs.

 

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring that the additional $1 added to the state vehicle registration fee be deposited into the Accessible Parking Special Account; provided that at the end of each fiscal year, any funds collected in excess of the operating expenses of the Disability and Communication Access Board shall be deposited into the State Highway Fund; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Transportation and International Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 916, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 916, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Transportation and International Affairs,

 

______________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair

 

______________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair