STAND. COM. REP. NO. 436-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1993

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1993 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEAF INDIVIDUALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize deaf motor vehicle owners to register their vehicle as being owned by a deaf individual so that a deafness designation appears when a law enforcement officer accesses the motor vehicle's information.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Customer Services for the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that encounters between law enforcement officers and drivers who are deaf can become unnecessarily tense or dangerous when officers are unaware of a hearing impairment, as a driver's inability to hear or promptly respond to verbal instructions may be misconstrued as noncompliance. Enabling a voluntary designation on a motor vehicle registration that alerts officers during an electronic inquiry can help facilitate appropriate communication and improve safety outcomes. By establishing this designation while limiting access to protect personal information, this measure enhances public safety and promotes more effective interactions between law enforcement and deaf residents.

Your Committee notes that recent legislation in New Jersey proposed a similar idea, which would add a designation on a motor vehicle's registration information indicating that the registrant is deaf.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Delaying the implementation of this measure by inserting an unspecified start date to allow adequate time to initiate efforts by state and county agencies;

(2) Deleting provisions that would have required the use of income tax forms to verify a hearing disability;

(3) Clarifying the definition for "deaf";

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1993, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1993, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

____________________________

DARIUS KILA, Chair