STAND. COM. REP. NO.  753

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 977

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 977, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to conform Hawaii's laws relating to commercial driver licensing to the most recent federal regulations.  Specifically, among other things, this measure:

 

     (1)  Adds a new section to Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to commercial learner's permits, changes existing references to "instruction permits" to the upgraded term "commercial learner's permit," and includes commercial learner's permits in certain regulatory provisions;

 

     (2)  Requires certain surrendered driver's licenses, including commercial driver's licenses, to be shredded;

 

     (3)  Adds and amends definitions to conform to federal regulations;

 

     (4)  Prohibits an employer from allowing an employee to drive a commercial motor vehicle without a current permit or without proper license restrictions and endorsements;

 

     (5)  Modifies the testing method to allow only the use of English during the skills test;

 

     (6)  Establishes a minimum age of 18 for a commercial learner's permit holder and amends standards and processes for issuing a commercial learner's permit;

 

     (7)  Provides for interstate cooperation among state licensing authorities for information sharing and license recognition;

 

     (8)  Allows a digitized or black and white laser engraved photograph to fulfill the photograph requirement of the application for a commercial driver's license or learner's permit; and

 

     (9)  Amends existing and adds new commercial driver's license restriction codes.

 

     The Department of Transportation provided testimony in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2013; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 977, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 977, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary,

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair