CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 118-12

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2012

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2626

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2626, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to enhance traffic safety around Hawaii's schools and enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school by statutorily establishing the Safe Routes to School Program introduced under Act 100, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009.  This measure also establishes:

 

     (1)  The Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund; and

 

     (2)  A Safe Routes to School Program surcharge of:

 

          (A)  $10 on all moving violations; and

 

          (B)  $25 on violations involving speeding in a school zone.

 

     Traffic congestion continues to increase around Hawaii's schools.  This in turn causes parents, who worry about the safety of their children, to drive their children to school, causing even more congestion around schools and increasing safety risks for students.  Evaluating the modes of transportation students currently use to get to school and conducting various workshops and community-based meetings to promote alternative methods of transportation to school will not only alleviate traffic congestion but also increase student safety.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that 38 schools in the State have safe routes to school programs that are extremely successful in increasing the number of children walking and biking to school.  This measure will make the Safe Routes to School Program permanent and available to children throughout the State.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting language appropriating $250,000 out of the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund for use by the Department of Transportation for the Safe Routes to School Program;

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to September 1, 2012; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2626, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2626, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.


 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Co-Chair

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Co-Chair

____________________________

MICHELLE KIDANI, Co-Chair