STAND. COM. REP. NO.  932-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1753

      H.D. 3

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1753, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOPEDS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to increase public safety by, among other things:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Director of Finance to issue moped number plates and specifying penalties for the fraudulent use of moped number plates;

 

     (2)  Prohibiting the use on public roadways of a moped that is not in good working order;

 

     (3)  Extending certain police powers dealing with vehicle inspections to include mopeds; and

 

     (4)  Requiring the annual registration of mopeds.

 

     Four concerned individuals supported this measure.  Two concerned individuals opposed this measure.  The Department of Transportation; Moped Noise Mitigation Working Group; Moped Doctors, LLC; and several concerned individuals offered comments.


Mopeds provide a cheaper alternative mode of transportation to driving a motor vehicle, and moped use continues to grow in popularity.  According to the City and County of Honolulu, the number of registered mopeds in Honolulu increased every year between 2006 and 2012.  With the increase in the use of mopeds, traffic safety concerns grow regarding these types of vehicles. 

Your Committee finds that public safety on Hawaii's roadways is paramount and that requiring safety inspections for mopeds increases roadway safety.  However, your Committee also finds that the annual registration of mopeds would help to determine if mopeds are being inspected on an annual basis and thus also increase the safety of Hawaii's roadways.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to March 15, 2037, to promote further discussion.

     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 H.B. No. 1753, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1753, H.D. 3.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair