STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1547-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2146

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. 2146, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Traffic Fines Task Force that will examine the Finnish tiered traffic fines system, determine whether a similar system could be implemented in the State, and provide recommendations as to how a system could best be implemented;

(2) Impose restrictions on a person's ability to obtain or renew a driver's license or to register, renew the registration of, or transfer title to a motor vehicle, as a consequence of unpaid monetary obligations, under certain circumstances; and

(3) Repeal provisions that would have allowed any person prevented from obtaining or renewing a driver's license or motor vehicle registration solely due to failure to pay any monetary assessment to petition the court for a driver's license or motor vehicle clearance.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Bicycling League and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Fines and Fees Justice Center; Hawaiian Islands Republican Women; Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center; and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary; Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; and American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee finds that existing traffic fine structures may impose disproportionate burdens on individuals with limited financial means and may not deter all offenders equally. Your Committee further finds that proportional traffic fine systems used in other jurisdictions warrant careful study to assess their feasibility, fairness, and administrative practicality in Hawaii. This measure establishes a task force to evaluate whether such a system could be implemented in the State to promote equity while maintaining accountability.

Your Committee also finds that the Ethics Commission previously testified that its longstanding practice is to exclude the activities of task force members from the general provisions of the State Ethics Code. Therefore, language in this measure specifically exempting members of the Traffic Fines Task Force from the State Ethics Code is unnecessary.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language stating that members of the Traffic Fines Task Force are not subject to the State Ethics Code solely because of their participation in the Task Force;

(2) Deleting language that would have imposed restrictions on a person's ability to obtain or renew a driver's license or to register, renew the registration of, or transfer title to a motor vehicle, as a consequence of unpaid monetary obligations, under certain circumstances;

(3) Deleting language that would have repealed provisions that allow any person prevented from obtaining or renewing a driver's license or motor vehicle registration solely due to failure to pay any monetary assessment to petition the court for a driver's license or motor vehicle clearance; 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2146, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2146, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair