STAND. COM. REP. NO.  401

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1308

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety and Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1308 entitled:

 

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

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to expand the definition of "emergency vehicle" to include State civil defense vehicles and county emergency management vehicles under the so-called "move over" law, which requires a driver that is approaching an emergency vehicle that is stopped for an emergency or official duty to slow down and to make a lane change into the adjacent lane if it is necessary and safe to do so.

 

     The Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Department of Defense, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Civil Defense Advisory Commission, Citizen's Advisory Commission on Civil Defense, County of Hawaii Police Department, Honolulu Police Department, Civil Defense Agency of the County of Hawaii, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii, Telecommunication Utility Working Group, Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Expanding the definition of "emergency vehicle" to include state law enforcement vehicles;

    

     (2)  Adding the charge of manslaughter as a possible offense when a driver does not move over and causes the death of an emergency responder; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Transportation that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1308, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1308, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair		____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair