STAND. COM. REP. NO. 73

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 228

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 228 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the counties to adopt rules for the use of electronic license plates;

(2) Prohibit the use of license plate flipping devices; and

(3) Establish maximum fines for intentionally obscuring a license plate with a cover or shield.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the City and County of Honolulu Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Customer Services.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Transportation's Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Program relies on the ability to accurately identify the license plate of motor vehicles and that the use of license plate flipping devices are intentional attempts to avoid identification. This measure seeks to take a proactive approach to prevent the potential use of license plate flipping devices to ensure law enforcement can effectively track and identify vehicles involved in illegal activities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a minimum fine amount of $750 and a maximum fine amount of $1,000 for violating the prohibition on license plate flipping devices;

(2) Inserting a minimum fine amount of $500 and a maximum fine amount of $1,000 for violating the prohibition on intentionally obscuring a vehicle's license plate with a cover or shield; and

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 228, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 228, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

DARIUS KILA, Chair