Report Title:

Emergency Vehicles; Conservation and Resources Enforcement

Description:

Allows the use of blue and red lights on approved law enforcement vehicles of the conservation and resources enforcement division of the department of land and natural resources.  Amends the definition of authorized emergency vehicles. (HB714 HD2)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	714
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to emergency vehicles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Section 291-31.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  No person shall knowingly operate, affix or cause to be affixed, display, or possess any lamp, reflector, or illumination device [which] that appears to be the color blue, or blue and red as provided in paragraph (3), upon any motor vehicle, motorcycle, motor scooter, bicycle, or moped except for: 

     (1)  [county] County law enforcement vehicles authorized and approved by the chief of police of the county in which the vehicle is operated; [or]

     (2)  [department] Department of public safety law enforcement vehicles authorized and approved by the director of public safety[.]; or

(3) Department of land and natural resources division of conservation and resources enforcement vehicles with blue and red lamps, reflectors, or illumination devices authorized and approved by the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources.

This prohibition shall not apply to factory-installed instrument illumination."

     SECTION 2.  Section 291C-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" to read as follows:

     ""Authorized emergency vehicle" includes [such] fire department vehicles, police vehicles, ambulances, [and] ocean safety vehicles, and conservation and resources enforcement vehicles authorized and approved pursuant to section 291-31.5 [as] that are publicly owned and [such] other publicly or privately owned vehicles [as are] designated as such by [the city or] a county council."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.