Bill Text: HI HB385 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating To Transportation.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-12-10 - Carried over to 2022 Regular Session. [HB385 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-HB385-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

385

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to transportation.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 249-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§249-7  Number plates.  (a)  Upon receipt of the tax the director of finance shall number and register the vehicle in the owner's name in a permanent record or book to be kept by the director for this purpose, and shall furnish the owner thereof with a receipt showing upon its face the license number issued for the vehicle and the fact that the license tax has been paid thereon for the whole or the remainder of the current year in which the receipt is issued.  The director of finance shall also furnish the owner, upon the original registration of the vehicle, two number plates for the vehicle or one plate in the case of trailers, semitrailers, or motorcycles with the registration number marked thereon.  Upon the payment of the tax for each year a tag or emblem bearing a serial number and the month and year of expiration shall be provided to the owner.  Transfer of current number plates, tag, or emblem, except as authorized by this chapter or by chapter 286, is punishable by a fine of not more than $50 for each offense.

     (b)  Upon an original registration the director of finance shall fix, and shall charge to the owner, a fee equal to the cost of the number plate and tag or emblem plus the administrative cost of furnishing the plate and tag or emblem and effecting the registration.  Upon the issuance of a new series of number plates as determined by the directors of finance of each county through majority consent, the director of finance shall charge the owner a fee equal to the costs of the number plate plus the administrative cost of furnishing the plates.  Upon issuing a tag or emblem, the director of finance shall charge the owner a fee of 50 cents.  The owner shall securely fasten the number plates on the vehicle, one on the front and the other on the rear, at a location provided by the manufacturer or in the absence of such a location upon the bumpers of the vehicle and in conformance with section 291-31, in such a manner as to prevent the plates from swinging.  Number plates shall at all times be displayed entirely unobscured and be kept reasonably clean.  In the case of trailers, semitrailers, or motorcycles, one plate shall be used and it shall be fastened to the rear thereof at a location provided by the manufacturer or in the absence of such a location at the rear thereof, and in the case of motorcycles in conformance with section 291-31.

     (c)  Upon the issuance of the tag or emblem the owner shall affix the tag or emblem to the top right portion of the rear number plate, except that all vehicles owned by the State, any county government, any board of water supply, and official representatives of any foreign governments shall be issued registrations which need be renewed only in the new plate issue year.

     (d)  After the initial payment of the tax and the original registration of a vehicle as herein specified, a motor vehicle shall not be required to be reweighed in any succeeding year unless it has been so altered or changed as to increase or diminish its weight.  No new number plates shall, however, be issued to a new owner except as provided in sections 249-7.5 and 249-8.

     (e)  If an owner of a vehicle registered in any county, upon the disposition of the vehicle, requests that the license plates furnished to the owner with respect to the registration of the vehicle be assigned to another vehicle subsequently acquired by the owner, the assignment may be made by the director of finance at the director's discretion.  To defray additional administrative costs incurred by acceding to those requests, the director of finance shall charge a fee of $5 for each reassignment of license plates, in addition to the fee for registration.  The procedure for registering the vehicles shall otherwise be identical with that provided by this section.

     (f)  Failure to display number plates in the manner required by this section shall be punishable by a fine of:

     (1)  Not less than $          but not more than

          $          for a first offense;

     (2)          for a second offense; and

     (3)  $          for each additional offense thereafter."

     SECTION 2.  Section 291-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§291-2  Reckless driving of vehicle or riding of animals; penalty.  Whoever operates any vehicle or rides any animal recklessly in disregard of the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving of vehicle or reckless riding of an animal, as appropriate, and shall be fined [not more than $1,000 or]     per cent of the person's income, as determined by the court; imprisoned not more than thirty days[,]; or both[.]; provided that the person shall be subject to enhanced penalties of an additional     per cent of the person's income, as determined by the court and based on the number of previous citations for reckless driving."

     SECTION 3.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2022.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Reckless Driving; Improperly Displayed License Plates; Penalties

 

Description:

Amends the penalties for reckless driving and improperly displayed license plates.  Effective 1/1/2022.

 

 

 

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

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