STAND. COM. REP. NO.  394

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 267

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 267 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE RENTAL INDUSTRY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to simplify documentation requirements for rented vehicles using an inter-island ferry service by providing certain vehicle identification requirement exemptions for rental cars traveling on an inter-island ferry.

 

     Catrala Hawaii, Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent A Car, National Car Rental, and Hawaii Superferry testified in support of this bill.  Young Brothers, Limited supported the intent of this measure.

 

     Currently, shipping motor vehicles between islands requires the shipper to present identification, a current certification of registration and proof of insurance for the vehicle being shipped, as well as a notarized letter from the registered owner or legal owner of the motor vehicle being shipped if the shipper is not the legal or registered owner of the vehicle.  However, individuals using the services of an inter-island ferry are oftentimes tourists who rent vehicles and may not have access to this documentation.  Thus, tourists find it difficult to use this alternative means of transportation between islands.  Providing an exemption from certain vehicle identification requirements when traveling on an inter-island ferry would help alleviate this problem and deserves further consideration.

 

     However, your Committee understands the concerns raised by Young Brothers, Limited, that if a vehicle becomes stranded on a neighbor island for any reason, the vehicle would need to be transported to its home island via a barge service as the current inter-island ferry provider's Public Utilities Commission certificate limits them to transporting vehicles only when accompanied by a driver.  This would present a problem in that Young Brothers, Limited, personnel would likely have to track down registration, insurance, and other documents for the vehicle to be shipped back to its home island.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by making the exemptions from identification requirements applicable to any water carrier authorized by the State of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission to transport vehicles interisland.

 

Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, 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. 267, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 267, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair