STAND. COM. REP. NO.66-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2520

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2520 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 bill is to establish the Parking for Persons with Disabilities Special Fund (Special Fund) to assist with the costs of issuing parking permits and placards to persons with disabilities.

The Disability and Communication Access Board and the City and County of Honolulu testified in support of this measure.

The administration of the program that issues parking placards to qualified persons with disabilities is a state responsibility. Currently, the counties provide this service on behalf of the State. Previously, to defray the costs involved in issuing these placards, the counties charged a fee to qualified individuals. However, recent federal court decisions have stated that it is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act to charge such a fee. As a result, the counties are no longer able to recoup any of the administrative costs related to issuing removable windshield placards.

Your Committee feels that it is in the best interest of the State, and other parties involved, to have the counties continue to administer this program on behalf of the State. The establishment of this Special Fund will assist the counties in doing that.

Your Committee realizes that the City and County of Honolulu will need additional time to program their computer systems in order to carry out the provisions of this bill.

Accordingly, this bill has been amended by:

(1) Extending the effective date to September 1, 2002; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, conformity, and style.

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. 2520, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2520, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair