CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 13-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2851

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2851, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

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 on Conference finds that drivers who are deaf or hard of hearing occasionally find it difficult to communicate with a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop due to environmental noise and limited lines of sight for lip-reading. Law enforcement officers may misinterpret such difficulty as confusion or noncompliance, leading to potentially dangerous outcomes. This measure will provide the law enforcement officer with the necessary information before the traffic stop begins to create safer interactions between deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers and law enforcement.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Making it effective on January 1, 2027; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2851, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2851, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DARIUS KILA Co-Chair	____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE Chair
____________________________ MAHINA POEPOE Co-Chair	____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY Co-Chair
	____________________________ KARL RHOADS Co-Chair