STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1197

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 10

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Military Affairs and Transportation and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 10, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt members of the national guard and reserves who are called to active duty to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan from county vehicular taxes and fees for noncommercial motor vehicles.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the State Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. Comments were submitted by the Hawaii National Guard Association, City and County of Honolulu's Department of Customer Services, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committees find that members of the Hawaii National Guard and reserves are more frequently being called to active duty. More than 2,500 members from Hawaii are currently serving in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. This heavy deployment has put strains on recruitment and retention. Measures such as this bill will impart on those serving and any potential recruits that the State acknowledges their sacrifices and will adopt measures to support them.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Placing a one year cap on the exemption upon the member's return from active duty; and

(2) Clarifying that the exemption is extended to those who are serving or have served in the central command area of operations to ensure that all members deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, or Qatar are included.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Military Affairs and Transportation and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 10, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 10, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Military Affairs and Transportation and Government Operations,

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

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NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair