State House passes transportation-related bills aimed at making Hawaiʻi roads safer

Hawaiʻi House of Representatives lawmakers recently passed a series of transportation-related bills targeting key areas aimed at making island roadways safer.

Measures include traffic enforcement, improving mobility and enhancing public safety throughout the state.

“These bills reflect our committee’s priorities: making streets safer, improving enforcement and traffic safety and ensuring the well-being of our residents,” said House Transportation Committee Chairperson Rep. Darius Kila of Oʻahu in a state House release about the measures.

House Bill 2021 stands out among the bills passed by establishing clear safety standards and regulations for electronic bicycles and defining responsible riding behaviors.

“With the technical changes made in this year’s e-bike bill, we hope that this year, it’ll be signed into law,” Kila said, adding that HB 2021 clarifies definitions, establishes safety standards and sets clear enforcement language to ensure workable implementation. “Current laws do not provide adequate protections or requirements, and this legislation addresses those gaps.”

Measures approved and crossed over to the Senate

HOUSE BILL 1510: Relating to License Plates

• Conditions issuance of a certificate of inspection upon a vehicle not being equipped with any cover or shield installed over the license plate. Amends the penalty for obstruction of a license plate. Allows state or county parking enforcement officers and those authorized by a state or county law enforcement agency to issue citations for vehicles with a cover or shield obstructing the license plate. Repeals the requirement that a cover or shield be intended to alter or interfere with the visibility, legibility or identification of a license plate.

HOUSE BILL 1696: Relating to Commercial Driver’s Licenses

• Lowers the age of those allowed to drive commercially within the state from 19 to 18 years old. Repeals the requirement that a person only operates Category 3 vehicles to qualify to drive commercially in the state.

HB 2021: Relating to Transportation

• Establishes safe riding behaviors for electric bicycles. Prohibits operation of high-speed electric devices in certain locations. Establishes labeling and signage requirements for electric bicycles. Prohibits operation of a moped or electric motorcycle in certain locations. Amends definition of “bicycle” for purposes of county vehicular taxes. Defines “electric bicycle” in place of “low-speed electric bicycle.” Authorizes seizure of non-road-legal, nonconforming electric bicycles and high-speed electric devices. Defines “electric micro-mobility device” and requires the same regulations as electric foot scooters. Prohibits someone younger than 16 years old from operating a Class 2 or Class 3 electric bicycle without direct supervision. Authorizes a person to ride an electric bicycle on a sidewalk under certain circumstances. Prohibits a person younger than 18 years old from operating a bicycle or electric foot scooter without a helmet. Repeals the requirement that moped drivers use bicycle lanes. Substitutes the term “motor scooter” with the term “motor-driven cycle”.

HOUSE BILL 2022: Relating to Motor Vehicle Registration

• Specifies that the county annual vehicle registration fee shall not exceed the state annual motor vehicle registration fee. Specifies the counties are required to spend a certain portion of the collected revenues from county motor vehicle registration fees and weight tax on roadway repair and maintenance. Specifies the county annual vehicle weight tax shall not exceed the state annual vehicle weight tax.

HOUSE BILL 2023: Relating to Transportation

• Requires Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to administer a statewide program for certification of active intelligent speed assistance systems and select a vendor for the installation and maintenance of systems. Limits civil liability of motor vehicle manufacturers, distributors and retailers for active intelligent speed assistance systems. Makes circumventing or tampering with an active intelligent speed assistance system a misdemeanor. Allows the Hawaiʻi Judiciary to impose the installation of active intelligent speed assistance systems as an additional penalty and as part of a license suspension or revocation for repeat offenders of certain traffic violations.

HOUSE BILL 2030: Relating to Transportation Affordability

• Requires Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to establish a clean vehicle rebate program related to the purchase or lease of new and used zero-emission vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Establishes the clean vehicle special fund. Establishes a transportation affordability and energy security tax beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

HOUSE BILL 2031: Relating to Transportation

• Establishes the Administrative Hearings Division within Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and transfers certain administrative hearing powers to the division. Allows authorized employees of Hawaiʻi Department of Law Enforcement to review images produced by the automated red light camera and speed enforcement systems.

HOUSE BILL 2033: Relating to Transportation

• PART I: Requires sellers and licensed dealers to ensure a motor vehicle is equipped with a front number plate mounting bracket or device. Requires a seller, licensed dealer or owner to securely fasten number plates on vehicles.
• PART II: Amends traffic code relating to street racing.
• PART III: Expands the Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Program to high-risk locations of state or county highways as determined by Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, under certain conditions. Appropriates funds.
• PART IV: Allows counties to use automatic license plate recognition systems to identify vehicles without current inspection or registration certificates and issue citations with fines waivable if compliance is demonstrated. Establishes data privacy and retention requirements. Allows counties, in coordination with Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, to use red light and speed camera systems for enforcement.
• PART V: Authorizes the installation of cameras on the stop arm of a school bus to record footage for evidence of a violation for passing or overtaking a school bus while the bus is stopped and its visual signals are turned on. Amends fines for passing or overtaking a school bus while the bus is stopped and its visual signals are turned on. Appropriates funds.
• PART VI: Specifies that Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Safety Office shall administer the Photo Red Light Imaging Detector Systems Program Special Fund and Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Program Special Fund.
• PART VII: Clarifies language relating to photo red light enforcement, automated speed enforcement and penalty provisions.

HOUSE BILL 2138: Relating to Economic Development

• Establishes a Hilo-Kona transportation pilot program within Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to study, plan, evaluate, implement and trial transportation routes and services connecting Hilo and Kona.

HOUSE BILL 2217: Relating to Identification

• Allows applicants for driver’s permit, driver’s license or civil identification cards to request a disability notation. Requires Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to establish public outreach efforts and coordinate with state and county law enforcement agencies regarding the disability notation.

HOUSE BILL 2333: Relating to Transportation

• Authorizes Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to designate airport special districts within airports statewide. Increases penalties for certain aeronautics law violations by reclassifying them from civil violations to petty misdemeanors.

HOUSE BILL 2336: Relating to Federal Military Installations

• Authorizes Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with U.S. Department of Defense for the provision of services at federal military installations, under certain conditions. Authorizes charging an administrative fee.

HOUSE BILL 2417: Relating to Administrative License Revocation

• Clarifies administrative driver’s license revocation procedures by specifying the effect of the notice of administrative revocation and conforming related administrative review and hearing provisions.

HOUSE BILL 1692: Relating to Traffic Safety

• PART I: Requires drivers approaching stationary vehicles displaying warning signals to slow down and make a lane change, if possible and safe to do so.
• PART II: Prohibits operation of a pickup truck carrying a passenger in the bed or load-carrying area while on roadways with posted speed limits of 46 mph or more and roadways with three or more lanes traveling in the same direction. Provides certain exemptions from passenger restrictions. Increases the minimum age from 12 to 18 years old allowed to ride in the bed or load-carrying area of a pickup truck while in operation.