STAND. COM. REP. 100

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 849

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 849 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC TRANSIT BENEFIT PROGRAMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the Director of Human Resources Development to develop a voluntary public transit benefit program as a pre-tax public transit benefit program for all state public employees.

The Department of Transportation, Vanpool Hawaii, and O'ahu Transit Services testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Resources Development testified in support of the intent of this measure.

Currently, City and County of Honolulu employees participate in pre-tax parking and public transit benefit programs that have enjoyed success among its participants. The success of these programs has also led to their use by private sector employers. However, your Committee notes that state employees are only afforded pre-tax parking benefits. Not only will state employees save money through the use of this public transit benefit, the use of public transportation alternatives such as The Bus and Vanpool Hawaii will be encouraged by this system and can be a means of easing traffic congestion on our roadways, especially on Oahu.

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. 849 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Employment.

 

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

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair