New fiscal year
brings new rules

Reciprocal-beneficiary
and auto insurance laws are
among those affected

By Gordon Y.K. Pang and Mike Yuen
Star-Bulletin

Couples can apply to be reciprocal beneficiaries, businesses can expect higher garbage hauling fees, and drivers can look forward to lower auto insurance rates as the new fiscal year begins tomorrow.

Applications for the new law that extend rights and benefits to any two adults who can't legally marry will be available tomorrow at the state Health Department, 1250 Punchbowl St.

But the department won't issue certificates until July 8, said Patrick Johnston, department spokesman. Gov. Cayetano said today he would sign the act into law on that date.

The reciprocal-beneficiary law applies to same-sex couples and adult pairs 18 and older who can't marry, such as mothers and sons.

Applicants must return the form by mail after they have it notarized. They must enclose an $8 money order or cashier's check payable to "Director of Finance" and a self-addressed, stamped envelope in which the department will mail the certificate.

Also tomorrow, the city will increase the fee it charges commercial garbage haulers by about 9 percent.

Higher garbage costs are among the biggest changes resulting from the new city budget. Also going into effect are about 60 state laws intended to boost the economy, tighten the state's fiscal belt and protect air quality.

Kurt Mayer, division president for Waste Management of Hawaii, said his company is now figuring how much it will need to pass on to customers.

"It's impossible not to," Mayer said. "It's a huge cost. Over half our cost is disposal cost."

Mayer predicted his competitors will be raising their rates as well. "They'll all have to raise their rates or go out of business," he said.

"The profit margin's too thin in this business."

Beginning tomorrow, the haulers are paying $60 a ton, up from $55. That rate will rise to $65.75 in July 1998 and $72.25 in July 1999.

The roughly 1,250 Oahu businesses that now depend on city garbage pickup will also be hit by higher charges, possibly by as much as 50 percent.

They now pay 50 cents per cubic foot or a minimum of $15. That will rise to $1 per cubic foot or a minimum of $30.

Also tomorrow, portions of the law to reduce automobile insurance rates 20 percent to 35 percent beginning Jan. 1 take effect.

They include the creation of an investigative unit to probe auto insurance-related fraud, the establishment of a special fund to hire attorneys for the anti-fraud unit and the establishment of a task force to develop a plan to reduce auto insurance costs, maximize coverage and curb the problem of uninsured motorists.

Also going into effect tomorrow: a prohibition of no-rules fighting and a requirement that time-share personnel wear identification badges while engaging in off-site sales to curb possible deceptive practices.

The economy-boosting laws include granting tax breaks for movie and film projects shot in Hawaii and for Continental Airlines, which is building a $24 million maintenance hangar to make Honolulu its hub for servicing jumbo jets that fly its Asia-Pacific routes.

To save the state some money, the Hawaii Paroling Authority will no longer have to give $200 to released prisoners.

Instead, it will have the option to provide as much as $200 to released inmates, depending on their financial need. The new law will also free the authority from having to provide released prisoners with clothing.

At the Health Department, the fees for certified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates will be going up.

It will cost $10 for a certified copy and $4 for additional copies ordered at the same time. (To save money, order copies all at once.)

Currently, the fee for certified copies is $2 a copy.

Maui County

The price of drinking water and recycled sewage water will rise, along with property tax rates on time-share units and entrance fees at Haleakala National Park.

Water rates are expected to rise from $1.15 to $1.17 per 1,000 gallons for residential customers and to $1.42 per 1,000 gallons by the year 2002. A household that uses 600 gallons of water a day would see the monthly bill increase from $60.66 to $66.80. The average household bill will increase to $78.77 by the year 2002.

The reclaimed-water rate rises from contractual rates to 20 cents per 1,000 gallons, under a bill recently approved by the Maui County Council. The bill allows clients to receive a discount for costs of a hookup to the county system.

Time-share units have been reclassified from apartments to hotel-resorts, raising the rate from $4.75 to $8 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Entrance fees at Haleakala National Park go up July 1 from $4 to $10 per vehicle and from $2 to $5 for walk-ins and bicyclists.

The annual pass increases from $10 to $20 a year.

Kauai County

Water rates for commercial and residential users will increase from $1.73 to $1.78 per 1,000 gallons.

A typical residential customer consuming about 500 gallons a day can expect to see a two-month bill increase from $51.90 to $53.40.

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Star-Bulletin reporters Gary T. Kubota and
Linda Hosek contributed to this report.

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Many changes statewide

Here are other changes accompanying
the start of the new fiscal year tomorrow:

OAHU

Those who need to take examinations in applying for city jobs will have to pay for those tests beginning tomorrow. Police and firefighter candidates will need to pay $35 per exam. Those taking exams for other city jobs will need to pay $3 to $5.

The mayor, City Council members and other elected and appointed officials of the city will get a 2 percent raise. The raise was granted by the city Salary Commission in April.

Also beginning tomorrow, the Honolulu Public Transit Authority is being eliminated, with its duties and staff transferred to the Department of Transportation Services.

Operation of the city zoo and golf courses is being transferred from the Parks Department to the Auditoriums Department.

STATE

Agricultural work opportunities (Act 255): Establishes a three-year pilot program to create agriculture-related jobs to get people off welfare.

Air-quality protection (Act 146): Authorizes the Health Department to establish permanent, non-civil service positions to assess air quality. Establishes an advisory task force to assess the air quality at Campbell Industrial Park and Kahe Valley.

Convention center (Act 124): Requires the departments of Budget and Finance and Business, Economic Development and Tourism to come up with a plan to privatize the convention center.

Driver licensing (Act 104): Prohibits driver-license applicants 15 to 17 years of age from taking the drivers test unless the applicant has held a valid instructional permit for at least 90 days.

Library books (Act 252): Requires the Board of Education to have public librarians involved in the selection of books in any outsourcing contract.

Missing children (Act 259): Establishes the Clearinghouse for Missing Children as a permanent state program and appropriates $172,000 for the fiscal biennium.

No-rules combat (Act 130): Prohibits "extreme fighting"; establishes a maximum penalty of $10,000 for each offense.

State identification cards (Act 166): Requires state identification cards, which currently have no expiration date, to be valid for six years.

Statewide trail and access program (Act 106): Provides that a maximum of $250,000 be the base funding for the trail and access program Na Ala Hele.

Traffic infractions (Act 59): To speed up the adjudication of cases, requires the court to enter a default judgment in favor of the state to motorists accused of a traffic infraction if they fail to appear and if the alleged offense also entails a criminal offense for which the motorist was charged.

Welfare recipients (Act 200): Allows disclosure of recipient's residence and work address to law enforcement officers; bars applicants and recipients from receiving assistance if guilty of fraud.