STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1304

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 312

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 S.B. No. 312 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AUDIBLE VEHICLE REVERSE WARNING SYSTEMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit a state or county-owned vehicle purchased on or after January 1, 2028, from using an audible reverse warning system that emits a warning sound other than one using broadband technology.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the excessive noise pollution caused by tonal reversing alarms on commercial and construction vehicles disrupts urban environments, while their limited effectiveness in preventing workplace accidents raises safety concerns. Studies have shown that broadband reversing alarms provide a more effective and targeted warning system, reducing workplace fatalities and environmental noise. This measure ensures safer worksites and quieter communities by requiring state and county-owned vehicles purchased after January 1, 2028, to be equipped with broadband reversing alarms.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the purpose section;

(2) Authorizing the Director of Transportation to grant exemptions for a state or county agency that has demonstrated a good faith effort, to be determined by the Director, to implement a broadband warning system but cannot due to unavailability;

(3) Requiring the Director of Transportation to maintain a continuously updated and publicly available record of all exemptions granted and to submit biannual reports to the Legislature;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 S.B. No. 312, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 312, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DARIUS KILA, Chair