STAND. COM. REP. NO. 176

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 153

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 153 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATEWIDE TRAFFIC CODE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish penalties for violations of the ignition interlock law; and

 

     (2)  Require proof of compliance with the ignition interlock law to be eligible to apply for a driver's license.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Hawaii Strategic Highway Safety Plan,  Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii, SmartStart, Casanova Powell Consulting, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, and Traffic Injury Research Foundation.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Public Defender.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

 

     Your Committee finds that ignition interlock devices prevent an intoxicated driver from operating a motor vehicle if their breath alcohol concentration exceeds a set point.  Since its inception in 2011, the ignition interlock program has prevented over one million impaired driving attempts.  This measure will improve upon this program by requiring drivers in the program to provide proof of compliance before their drivers license may be reinstated.  Your Committee notes that driving is a privilege and not a right.  As such, drivers who lose that privilege due to driving while impaired should demonstrate their fitness for driving by proving compliance with the program.

 

     Your Committee also notes that an issue has been raised regarding equitable impact of this measure due to the cost to participants in the program.  Should this measure move forward, your Committee on Judiciary is encouraged to consider the equity issues raised.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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 S.B. No. 153, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 153, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair