HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	355
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

Relating to vehicle registration fee reduction.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Act 162 of 2011 amended section 249-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to double the state vehicle registration fee, thus placing an undue financial burden on the citizens of Hawaii.  This remarkable increase was the result of an administration initiative to make up for the extreme reduction in general fund and capital improvement project budget allocations to the state highway fund from 2005 through 2010.  Hawaii taxpayers already suffer from a significant tax and fee burden.  The doubling of registration fees during an economic downturn showed a lack of fiscal discipline in the State's leadership, as well as indifference to the financial burdens of the people of Hawaii.

     The legislature also finds that the total cost of vehicle registration in Hawaii, including the vehicle weight tax and county taxes and fees, is among the three most expensive in the United States. 

     The purpose of this Act is to return the vehicle registration fee to the 2010 level, thus reducing the cost per vehicle by $20.

     SECTION 2.  Section 249-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§249-31  State registration fee.  (a)  All vehicles and motor vehicles in the State as defined in section 249-1, including antique motor vehicles, except as otherwise provided in sections 249-4, 249-6, and 249-31.5, shall be subject to a [$45] $25 annual vehicle registration fee.  The fee shall be paid each year together with all other taxes and fees levied by this chapter on a staggered basis as established by each county as authorized by section 286-51, and the state registration for that county shall likewise be staggered so that the state registration fee is due and payable at the same time and shall be collected together with the county fee.  The state registration fee shall be deemed delinquent if not paid with the county registration fee.  The respective counties shall collect this fee together with the vehicle registration tax collected for the county and shall transfer the moneys collected under this section to the State.

     (b)  From each annual motor vehicle registration fee, the director shall deposit [$40] $20 into the state highway fund and $5 into the emergency medical services special fund."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________
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Report Title:

Motor Vehicles; Annual Registration Fee

 

Description:

Reduces the vehicle registration fee and maintains allocation of the fee to the state highway fund and emergency medical services special fund.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.