REPORT TITLE:
Traffic Bench Warrants


DESCRIPTION:
Prevents persons with outstanding traffic bench warrants to
obtain or renew a driver's license. (HB5 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE STATEWIDE TRAFFIC CODE.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to prevent persons
 
 2 with outstanding traffic bench warrants from obtaining or
 
 3 renewing a driver's license.  This Act employs the licensing
 
 4 restriction system, currently used for decriminalized traffic
 
 5 offenses, as an additional tool for increasing compliance in the
 
 6 more serious penal traffic cases.  By forcing these individuals
 
 7 back into the traffic court system, without the expenses
 
 8 associated with arresting them and holding them in custody, it is
 
 9 anticipated that this Act will reduce the costs of coercing
 
10 compliance and generate revenue from the earlier disposition of
 
11 the underlying traffic matters.
 
12      There are thousands of outstanding traffic bench warrants
 
13 that were issued for defendants when they failed to appear in
 
14 penal traffic cases or failed to appear for a proof of compliance
 
15 hearing.  Unlike drivers who fail to appear in decriminalized
 
16 traffic cases, drivers who fail to appear in penal traffic cases
 
17 must be physically arrested.  This is an expensive process.
 
18 Hawaii's limited law enforcement resources have been prioritized
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 for other matters and, consequently, a substantial backlog of
 
 2 traffic bench warrants has developed.  This Act addresses that
 
 3 backlog.
 
 4      SECTION 2.  Chapter 291C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 5 amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated
 
 6 and to read as follows:
 
 7      "�291C-     Restriction on driver's license.  On or after
 
 8 the effective date of this Act, regardless of the date of the
 
 9 underlying traffic offense, when a bench warrant is issued, the
 
10 court shall cause an entry to be made in the driver's license
 
11 record so as to prevent the person named in the bench warrant
 
12 from acquiring or renewing the person's driver's license for as
 
13 long as the bench warrant is outstanding."
 
14      SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
15      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.