CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 158-16
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2016
RE: H.B. No. 1753
H.D. 3
S.D. 2
C.D. 1
Honorable Joseph M. Souki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Eighth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2016
State of Hawaii
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Twenty-Eighth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2016
State of Hawaii
Sirs:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1753, H.D. 3, S.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOPEDS,"
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 improve public safety by strengthening regulations regarding mopeds. Among other things, this measure:
(1) Requires the issuance of a moped number plate and tag or emblem upon payment of fees;
(2) Prohibits the unauthorized transfer of current number plates, tags, and emblems for mopeds;
(3) Requires an owner of a moped to affix the number plates and tag or emblem to the owner's moped;
(4) Prohibits a person from operating a moped that is not in good working order on any highway;
(5) Extends to mopeds certain police powers regarding the inspection of vehicles believed to be unsafe or without required equipment;
(6) Prohibits a person from operating or parking any moped on a public highway, without a current official certificate of inspection; and
(7) Subjects mopeds to annual certificate of inspection requirements.
Mopeds provide a cheaper alternative mode of transportation to driving a motor vehicle, and moped use continues to grow in popularity. According to the City and County of Honolulu, the number of registered mopeds in Honolulu increased every year between 2006 and 2012. With the increase in the use of mopeds, traffic safety concerns grow regarding this type of vehicle. Your Committee on Conference finds that public safety on Hawaii's roadways is paramount and that establishing safety inspections and registration requirements for mopeds, as well as the issuance and use of number plates for mopeds, thereby increasing roadway safety in Hawaii.
Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:
(1) Making the requirements for registration and the issuance of a moped number plate and tag or emblem to chapter 249 (County Vehicular Taxes), Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), as this Chapter is more appropriate and already includes provisions regarding mopeds and moped fees;
(2) Making numerous conforming amendments to various sections of chapter 249, HRS, to address the newly established moped number plate and tag or emblem requirements and fees;
(3) Stipulating that the registration of mopeds shall occur on a staggered basis as agreed upon by the counties' director of finance;
(4) Establishing the registration fee for mopeds at $27;
(5) Increasing the penalty for seizure of a bicycle or moped due to liability for the payment of required fees or the lack of a license plate, emblem, tag, or decal affixed as required by law from $1 to $25;
(6) Allowing the director of finance of a county to establish the fee for a duplicate moped license plate;
(7) Clarifying that mopeds are exempt from producing and displaying a motor vehicle insurance card for the purposes of annual inspection requirements;
(8) Changing its effective date to January 1, 2017;
(9) Specifying that the staggering of the registration and issuance of license plates for current permanent registered mopeds be completed by December 31, 2017: and
(10) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.
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 H.B. No. 1753, H.D. 3, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1753, H.D. 3, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
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ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
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____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair |
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____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Co-Chair |
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____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Co-Chair |
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____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair
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____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Co-Chair |
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____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair |
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____________________________ TY J.K. CULLEN, Co-Chair |