STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2132-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2697

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2697, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit vehicles from driving on the shoulder of a roadway, except in certain circumstances;

(2) Authorize the Department of Transportation, law enforcement officers, and other approved persons to impound vehicles with expired registrations of three years or more, under certain conditions;

(3) Require the Department of Transportation to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the expired registration enforcement activity;

(4) Increase the fine amount for owners of out-of-state motor vehicles who fail to register the vehicle in the State; and

(5) Establish minimum and maximum statutory penalties for violations relating to the use of high occupancy vehicle lanes.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu; and Law Office of Georgette A. Yaindl, LLLC.

Your Committee finds that unsafe roadside driving and long-expired vehicle registrations present ongoing risks to traffic flow and roadway safety. This measure establishes clearer consequences to support consistent enforcement and encourage safer, law‑abiding use of public roadways.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the penalty structure for violations relating to the use of shoulder lanes;

(2) Deleting language authorizing an approved person, contractor, or government agency designated to carry out towing enforcement to impound vehicles with expired registrations of three years or more;

(3) Specifying that the Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies may adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to enforce the provisions relating to the impoundment of vehicles with expired registrations of three years or more;

(4) Delaying the implementation of the provisions relating to the impoundment of vehicles with expired registrations of three years or more to one year after the effective date of this measure; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2697, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2697, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair