What new Hawai’i laws are taking effect on New Year’s Day?

Several new State of Hawai’i laws are set to take effect on Jan. 1.

They cover a wide variety of areas, including car insurance for residents renting to visitors, tobacco taxes, catalytic converters, mandatory ethics training for state legislators and workers, fireworks, ranked-choice voting and even balloons.

New legislation outlines the required insurance coverage that Hawai’i residents will need if they rent their vehicles as a source of extra money to visitors in peer-to-peer sharing programs that are not established rental car businesses.

Also related to licensed drivers, a law regarding first-time DUI offenders was amended from the one-year revocation of license to no less than one year and no more than 18 months.

New legislation makes it illegal for people to release balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases because they pose a danger and nuisance to the environment, particularly to wildlife and marine animals.

“Many animals are attracted to the bright colors of balloons and mistake them for food, which can cause an animal severe injury or death,” the law states. “Animals are often found entangled in balloon strings and, as a result, are injured or strangled to death.”

Most of the 377 new laws passed by the 2022 Hawai’i State Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. David Ige already have gone into effect, but here are the ones that take effect on Jan. 1, 2023:

Act 15, SLH 2022 (SB2376 SD1) – Relating to Tobacco Taxes
Repeals and eliminates the deferred payment purchase option for cigarette tax stamps. Requires licensees to pay for stamps at the time of purchase using cash, certified check, or bank transfer.

Act 47, SLH 2022 (SB2162 CD1) – Relating to Ranked Choice Voting
Establishes ranked-choice voting for special federal elections and special elections of vacant county council seats.

Act 49, SLH 2022 (SB2185 CD1) – Relating to Fireworks
Requires the auditor of fireworks and articles pyrotechnic records for each county fire department to submit to the Legislature an annual report detailing inventory, recordkeeping, and sales of fireworks to license or permit holders.

Act 56, SLH 2022 (HB1619 CD1) – Relating to Peer-to-Peer Car-Sharing Insurance Requirements
Establishes provisions relating to peer-to-peer insurance coverage.

Act 57, SLH 2022 (HB1681 SD1) – Relating to Transportation Network Companies
Establishes requirements and permitting procedures for transportation network companies operating in the State. Makes permanent insurance requirements for transportation network companies and transportation network company drivers.

Act 58, SLH 2022 (HB2111 CD1) – Relating to Insurance
Establishes provisions relating to care obligation of insurers and producers.

Act 62, SLH 2022 (HB2272 CD1) – Relating to Condominium Associations
Amends provisions relating to contents of declarations under condominiums laws.

Act 69, SLH 2022 (SB2685 CD1) – Relating to Planned Community Associations
Establishes provisions relating to cumulative voting for directors under the planned community associations law

Act 76, SLH 2022 (HB137 CD1) – Relating to Liquor
Amends provisions relating to cooperation between the Department of Taxation and county liquor commissions.

Act 88, SLH 2022 (SB2279 CD1) – Relating to Catalytic Converters
Regulates the purchase of catalytic converters by used motor vehicle parts dealers and palladium, platinum, and rhodium by scrap dealers and recyclers. Subjects persons who violate related provisions to a class C felony. Establishes the felony offense of theft of catalytic converter.

Act 94, SLH 2022 (SB3165 CD1) – Relating to Operating a Vehicle under the Influence of an Intoxicant
Amends provisions relating to operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant under use of intoxicants while operating a vehicle law.

Act 97, SLH 2022 (HB956 CD1) – Relating to Statewide Interoperable Public Safety Communications
Establishes a statewide interoperable communications executive committee and subcommittee for public safety communications and the position of the statewide interoperable communications coordinator. Defines “interoperable communications”.

Act 141, SLH 2021 (HB1102 SD2) – Relating to Litter Control
Prohibits the intentional release of balloons inflated with a gas that is lighter than air.

Act 159, SLH 2022 (SB2679 CD1) – Relating to Driver’s Licenses
Extends the renewal period from two years to four years for licensees who are seventy-two years of age or older but younger than eighty years of age.

Act 161, SLH 2022 (SB3121 CD1) – Relating to Funding for Parking for Disabled Persons
Establishes an Accessible Parking Special Account within the Disability and Communication Access Board Special Fund. Increases the state annual vehicle registration fee by $1 and requires that $1 from each annual vehicle registration fee be deposited into the Accessible Parking Special Account.

Act 165, SLH 2022 (HB1475 CD1) – Relating to Mandatory Ethics Training
Requires state legislators and employees to complete mandatory live or online ethics training courses every four years, subject to certain requirements.

Act 169, SLH 2022 (HB2416 CD1) – Relating to Campaign Spending
Establishes provisions relating to donors; consent; notice.

Act 217, SLH 2022 (HB1982 CD1) – Relating to Taxes
Establishes provisions relating to withholding of tax by persons claiming the motion picture, digital media, and film production income tax credit under the general excise tax law.

Act 218, SLH 2022 (SB2378 CD1) – Relating to the Taxation Board of Review
Amends provisions relating to the taxation board of review; appointment; removal, compensation.

Act 283, SLH 2022 (SB555 HD1) – Relating to Campaign Fundraising
Prohibits elected state and county officials from holding any fundraiser event to raise contributions for which any price is charged or any contribution is suggested for attendance during a regular session or special session of the state legislature.

Act 286, SLH 2022 (SB3085 CD1) – Relating to the Hawaiʻi Code of Military Justice
Adopts a new Hawaiʻi Code of Military Justice to promote order and discipline in the state military forces by fostering an independent military justice system and updating nonjudicial punishment and courts-martial procedures.

Act 298, SLH 2022 (HB1688 CD1) – Relating to Registration of Vehicles
Subjects U-drive motor vehicles to the same motor vehicle registration fees as other motor vehicles. Authorizes the counties to use certain motor vehicle registration fees to mitigate and address the impacts of tourism-related traffic congestion.