Prohibits dealers from selling new motor scooters with noise emissions exceeding a specified number of decibels. Adds motor scooters to noisy muffler law currently applicable to motorcycles and mopeds.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Chapter 437, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§437-    Motor scooter; noise emission prohibition. No dealer shall sell a motor scooter, as defined in section 286-2, with a muffler or exhaust system that emits a noise level of         decibels or more."

SECTION 2. Section 291-24, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending its title and subsection (a) to read as follows:

"§291-24 Motorcycles, motor scooters, and mopeds, noisy mufflers; penalty. (a) Every motorcycle, motor scooter, and moped moving under its own power on a public highway shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in constant operation to prevent any excessive or unusual noise, and no such muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motorcycle, motor scooter, or a moped in a manner [which] that will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of [such] the motorcycle, motor scooter, or moped above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the motorcycle, motor scooter, or moped [except]; provided that a motorcycle, motor scooter, or moped that:

shall not be required to be equipped with a muffler."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 1 of this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2007.