STAND. COM. REP. NO. 512

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 164

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Transportation and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 164 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNADJUDICATED TRAFFIC FINES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to transfer certain fines and forfeitures collected for uncontested traffic infractions to the counties.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii State Association of Counties, and one member of the Kauai County Council.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Judiciary and Department of Budget and Finance.

 

     Your Committees find that the counties enforce the traffic law on behalf of the State and use their own resources to issue traffic-related citations.  Under existing law, all traffic violation fines are issued by the counties, however those fines are collected and kept by the State.  Your Committees believe that the counties should receive a share of the revenues generated from traffic violation fines.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Upon the recommendation by the Judiciary, setting an unspecified amount of the fines and forfeitures collected to be transmitted to each county; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 164, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 164, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

 

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

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

 

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair