STAND. COM. REP. NO. 163

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1041

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1041 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TRANSFER OF JURISDICTION OVER HIGHWAYS TO THE COUNTIES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide for the transfer of all state highway functions to the counties, make each county responsible for highways that are located in that county, and transfer funding for state highways to the counties.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Councilmember of District IV and one individual.  Testimony in opposition was received from the Department of Transportation, Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, and Hawaii Highway Users Alliance.  Comments were received from the Legislative Reference Bureau and the Hawaii State Association of Counties.

 

     Your Committees find that jurisdiction over highways are basically a county function.  The intent of this measure is to transfer jurisdiction over highways on Oahu and in the County of Maui as soon as possible, while highways in the other counties would be transferred over a five‑year phase-in period.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Including all counties in the transfer over a five-year period; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050.

 

     Your Committees note the concerns of the Chair of the Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs to the effect that the Chair has great reservations about this measure and would prefer that more planning be done to facilitate the transfer.  Specifically, there are issues involving changes to statutes, ordinances, and rules, as well as federal funding concerns. 

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1041, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1041, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair