STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1542

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 146

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.R. No. 146 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE COUNTIES TO UPDATE THE DESIGN AND FORMAT OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION PLATES IN RESPONSE TO GROWING ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND HYBRID VEHICLE SALES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the counties to update the design and format of vehicle registration plates in response to growing electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle sales.

Your Committees received no testimony on this measure.

Your Committees find that electric vehicle adoption is growing exponentially, with many major car manufacturers phasing out gasoline-powered cars completely by 2035. Additionally, hybrid vehicle sales have been increasing as consumers view these vehicles as a convenient middle ground between conventional gasoline-powered vehicles and electric vehicles. At the current pace of electric vehicle sales, the existing electric vehicle license plate scheme will last for only five years. Your Committees believe that updating the present license plate schemes is necessary to accommodate shifting trends toward electric, hybrid, and gasoline-powered vehicle sales in the State. This measure will allow the State to effectively manage the distribution and circulation of license plates as consumer trends in the automotive industry rapidly change.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Transportation and Culture and the Arts that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 146 and recommend its adoption.

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

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair