STAND. COM. REP. NO. 724

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1522

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 S.B. No. 1522 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VEHICLE TITLE TRANSFERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that a transferor who complies with the portions of the statute requiring action on the transferor's part shall not be liable for any violation resulting from the operation of a transferred vehicle, even though the transferor remains the legal and registered owner of the vehicle, and that a copy of the transferor's notice of transfer form shall serve as a complete defense to any liability.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Kalihi Palama Neighborhood Board, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that until an automobile transfer is considered complete by the respective county, the vehicle remains legally registered to the original owner, the transferor. During this period, the transferor may be liable for parking tickets, traffic infractions, and other civil or criminal liabilities even though the transferor no longer retains possession of the vehicle. Therefore, this measure ensures that the transferor shall not be liable for any violation resulting from the operation of a transferred vehicle.

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 S.B. No. 1522 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair