STAND. COM. REP. NO. 664-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2217

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. 2217 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IDENTIFICATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Allow applicants for driver's permits, driver's licenses, or civil identification cards to request a nonapparent disability notation on their permit, license, or identification card; and

(2) Require the Department of Transportation to undertake certain outreach and coordination efforts for purposes associated with the disability notation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board; one member of the Kauaʻi County Council; Invisible Disabilities Association; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and Responsive Caregivers of Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that individuals with certain disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, and other cognitive or neurological conditions, may experience heightened stress or difficulty communicating during interactions with law enforcement and first responders. Because these disabilities are typically not immediately visible, routine encounters such as traffic stops or emergencies may escalate due to misunderstandings, potentially compromising the safety of both the individual and responding personnel. Allowing individuals to voluntarily request a notation on a driver's license, permit, or civil identification card provides a simple and cost-free mechanism to promote awareness and encourage more informed, compassionate responses.

Your Committee notes the concern raised in testimony by the Department of the Attorney General that allowing a wide range of nonapparent disabilities, regardless of whether they are medically verified, to be indicated on an applicant's permit, license, or identification card will make it difficult for law enforcement officers to receive adequate training to prevent unnecessary escalations.

Your Committee further notes the concern raised in testimony by the Disability and Communication Access Board that the degree to which certain types of disabilities are apparent can vary, making it difficult to accurately define "nonapparent" in a manner that promotes the safety of all persons with disabilities. Your Committee recognizes that because driver's licenses, permits, and identification cards may be used in many types of transactions, a person with a disability may not want to request a disability notation. Your Committee notes that this measure authorizes a person to request a disability notation through an exclusively opt-in process.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language requiring the disability to be "nonapparent" and deleting the associated definition for "nonapparent disability";

(2) Removing the requirement for the Department of Transportation and Disability and Communication Access Board to consult regarding the design of the disability notation;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) 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. 2217, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2217, 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