STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1735

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1162

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1162, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTORCYCLE INSTRUCTION PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require all applicants for a motorcycle instruction permit to successfully complete a basic motorcycle rider course approved by the Department of Transportation and Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu before becoming eligible for the permit; and

(2) Clarify that a person shall not operate a motor vehicle in connection with the driving training course without a valid temporary instruction permit unless it is a motorcycle that is being used for training purposes on an enclosed state certified training range.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that basic rider courses equip motorcycle operators with the skills and understanding of what factors increase and decrease motorcycle crash risk within a safe and controlled environment. Your Committee believes that requiring the completion of a basic rider course will ensure motorcycle riders can properly operate and handle a motorcycle in various conditions, understand common laws and rules of the road, and understand basic safety mechanics of their bike. By requiring motorcycle operators to acquire minimum practice hours and skills to safely pass a motorcycle skills test, this measure will improve road safety, reduce crashes, and lower motorcycle-related fatalities and injures in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committee notes the concerns raised in the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu's testimony. Specifically, your Committee notes that this measure, as written, will require the Division of Motor Vehicles to approve, along with the Department of Transportation, the basic rider course on behalf of all counties, rather than each county's respective division of motor vehicles approving their county's course.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1162, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1162, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair