STAND. COM. REP. NO.  210

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 564

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 564 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VEHICULAR TAXES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to recognize the sacrifices made by members of the armed services.  Specifically, this bill:

     (1)  Establishes flat rates for the state vehicle weight tax for vehicles owned by permanently totally disabled veterans who are residents of Hawaii and who were honorably discharged from the uniformed armed services; and

     (2)  Defines a permanently totally disabled veteran.

     The Oahu Veterans Council and Military Officers Association of America, Hawaii Chapter, testified in support of this measure.  The State Office of Veterans Services and Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu testified in support of the intent of this bill.  The Tax Foundation of Hawaii provided comments.
     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that a veteran must be other than dishonorably discharged from the uniformed armed forces, rather than simply honorably discharged, to qualify for the flat rate for the state vehicle weight tax;

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 564, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 564, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair