CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 70

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1010

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir and Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1010, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMMUTER BENEFITS PROGRAM,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to reduce the negative impacts inherent to widespread use of motor vehicles including traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and a reliance on fossil fuels in the transportation sector.  Specifically, this measure promotes the use of commuter benefits programs by allowing counties to adopt ordinances requiring employers to offer employees specified commuter benefits options to encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation to commute to and from work.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the use of commuter benefits programs will promote alternative forms of transportation, resulting in the reduction of traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and the State's reliance on imported fossil fuel, and lead to an enhanced quality of life for the State's commuters.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Including transportation furnished by an employer at no cost or low cost, as determined by the designated authority, to employees in a vanpool, bus, or similar multi-passenger vehicle operated by or for the employer as one of the specified commuter benefits options;

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2015; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1010, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1010, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair

 

 

____________________________

HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Co-Chair

 

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Co-Chair

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair

 

 

 

____________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Co-Chair

 

 

____________________________

TY J.K. CULLEN, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

BREENE HARIMOTO, Co-Chair