Report Title:

Electric Vehicles; Registration; License Plates; Incentives

 

Description:

Requires DOT to adopt rules for the registration of, and the counties to establish and issue special license plates for, electric vehicles.  Provides incentives to use electric vehicles, including exempting electric vehicles from parking fees and high occupancy vehicle lane restrictions, and neighborhood electric vehicles from motor vehicle registration taxes and licensing fees.  Requires DOT to submit a report to the Legislature every five years on the effectiveness of these incentives beginning with the Regular Session of 2013.  (HB2330 HD3)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2330

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

H.D. 3

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that it is in the best interests of the state to support the development and widespread consumer acceptance of electric vehicles within the state.  The growth in the use of electric vehicles will attain significant reductions in air pollution, improve energy efficiency in transportation, and reduce the state's dependence on imported oil or petroleum products.  The legislature also finds that exempting electric vehicles from various requirements applicable to conventional, internal combustion, engine-powered vehicles may encourage operators to choose electric vehicles.

     Act 290, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997 (Act 290), directed the department of transportation to establish and issue a special license plate to identify electric vehicles and exempted vehicles bearing the license plate from the payment of certain parking fees and high occupancy vehicle traffic restrictions.  In addition, Act 290 waived the motor vehicle registration fee and any license plate issuance fees for electric vehicles in the state.

     The legislature further finds that Act 290 encourages the use of electric vehicles and advances the State's policy of supporting the development and widespread consumer acceptance of electric vehicles within the state; however, these incentives should be reviewed every five years.

     The purpose of this Act is to promote the use of electric vehicles in the state by exempting those vehicles from parking fees and high-occupancy vehicle lane restrictions and exempting neighborhood electric vehicles from motor vehicle registration and licensing fees.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§286-    Electric vehicles; registration and fees.  (a)  The department of transportation shall:

     (1)  Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 for the registration of an electric vehicle in this state, as needed; and

     (2)  Review the effectiveness of this section to promote the use of electric vehicles and submit a report to the legislature every five years beginning with the regular session of 2013 and no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the appropriate regular session.

     (b)  The director of finance of the county in which the electric vehicle is to be operated shall establish and issue a special license plate to designate that the vehicle to which the license plate is affixed is an electric vehicle.

     (c)  An electric vehicle to which a license plate issued pursuant to subsection (b) is affixed shall be exempt from:

     (1)  The payment of parking fees, including those collected from parking meters, charged by any governmental authority other than the federal government; and

     (2)  High-occupancy vehicle lane restrictions.

     (d)  The motor vehicle registration taxes and fees assessed pursuant to chapter 249 upon the registration and renewal of a neighborhood electric vehicle, as defined in section 291C-1, and the highway beautification fee pursuant to section 286-51, shall be waived."

     SECTION 3.  Act 290, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, is repealed.

     SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.