STAND. COM. REP. NO. 258

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1096

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 1096 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit the use of license plate flipping devices.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Honolulu Police Department.

Your Committee finds that license plate flipping devices are manual, electric, or mechanical devices that can be installed on motor vehicles in order to switch between two or more license plates or hide a license plate from view. These devices prevent the proper identification of a vehicle and pose a threat to the community because they allow drivers to evade identification while operating a vehicle that is being operated illegally or is being sought by law enforcement. For instance, license plate flipping devices can be used to hide vehicles involved in traffic violations, such as running a red light, which in some areas are monitored by automated cameras, to crimes including reckless driving, driving under the influence, or fleeing the scene of an accident. This measure will improve public safety on the State's roads and highways by prohibiting the use of license plate flipping devices.

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 S.B. No. 1096 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

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CHRIS LEE, Chair