Bill Text: HI SB539 | 2013 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Motor Vehicle Registration; Veterans; Exemption

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-03-14 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on TRN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) McKelvey, Mizuno excused (2). [SB539 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2013-SB539-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 27

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 539

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 539 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt certain totally and permanently disabled veterans from paying motor vehicle registration expenses.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Office of Veterans' Services; the City and County of Honolulu Division of Motor Vehicle, Licensing, and Permits; and several individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Transportation.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committees find that it is necessary to give back to veterans who have served valiantly in support of and sacrifice to the United States.  Furthermore, the nature of veterans' disabilities often will not allow them to pursue paid employment, and their fixed income generally falls short of their cost of living.  The exemption of certain totally and permanently disabled veterans from paying motor vehicle registration expenses will improve the quality of life for the veterans and their dependents.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the honorable discharge eligibility requirement for the exemption and specifying instead that a veteran who is discharged from the United States uniformed armed forces is eligible except if dishonorably discharged; and

 

     (2)  Excluding vehicles used for commercial purposes and more than one vehicle of a disabled veteran from the exemption.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Transportation and International Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 539, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 539, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair		____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair