STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3223
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: H.B. No. 1861
H.D. 2
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 1861, H.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NUMBER PLATES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to:
(1) Require
license plates issued on or after January 1, 2025, to include ʻokina in the word "Hawaiʻi"; and
(2) Authorize
the use of all uppercase letters, all lowercase letters, or initial capital
letters for the words "Hawaiʻi" and "Aloha State"
in motor vehicle license plates.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu and ten individuals.
Your Committee
finds that two years ago, the Legislature passed Act 170, Session Laws of
Hawaii 2022, which requires Hawaiian diacritical markings in Hawaiian names and
words in official state and county letterhead.
According to testimony received by your Committee, existing statute does
not permit the inclusion of the ʻokina
on license plates. This measure will
support broader implementation of Hawaiian diacritical marks across government,
including state vehicle license plates.
Your
Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Limiting
special number plates for environmental conservation to apply to electric
vehicles only, with all the benefits and restriction of electric vehicle plates;
(2) Specifying
that the design for special number plates for environmental conservation
shall not require the words "Aloha State" along the lower portion of
the plate;
(3) Making
it effective upon its approval; and
(4) Making
technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and
consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1861, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1861, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,
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________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair |
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