STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3740

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1539

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Increase fines for violations of certain traffic laws and required motor vehicle insurance minimums;

(2) Establish minimum and maximum sentences for persons convicted of violations of certain traffic laws;

(3) Amend the minimum liability coverage thresholds to unspecified amounts;

(4) Establish a separate prohibition on driving motor vehicles having noisy mufflers on public highways in high-density areas;

(5) Establish separate fines for violations of motor scooter and motor vehicle muffler regulations;

(6) Define "high-density areas"; and

(7) Establish fines for placing any device upon a vehicle designed to immobilize the vehicle without consent of the owner of the vehicle.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Association for Justice; Niwao & Roberts, Certified Public Accountants, A Professional Corporation; and seven individuals.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Hertz, and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Insurers Council, Turo Inc., and three individuals.

Your Committees find that there is an increase in traffic violations and fatalities by repeat offenders, repeated violations of the State's minimum motor vehicle insurance policy requirements, and noise pollution and disturbances from low restriction mufflers on motor vehicles. Your Committees further find that it is necessary to mitigate these impacts on the State's residents. This measure will increase fines and amend terms for violations of certain traffic laws to improve safety on the State's streets and better protect the State's residents.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair