Bill Text: HI HB657 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Disabled Veterans.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-1)
Status: (N/A) 2025-01-17 - Pending introduction. [HB657 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2025-HB657-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
657 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to disabled veterans.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that greater consistency is needed between the vehicle-based tax and fee exemptions offered to active duty military members and the tax and fee exemptions offered to disabled veterans. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Exempt disabled veterans from the State's vehicle weight tax; and
(2) Repeal the exemption for disabled veterans from the State's annual vehicle registration fee.
SECTION 2. Section 249-6.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"[[]§249-6.5[]] Exemption for National
Guard, military reserves, and other active duty military personnel, and for disabled
veterans claiming Hawaii as their residence of record.
(a) One noncommercial
motor vehicle registered to [a]:
(1) A member of the National
Guard, military reserve, or armed service, including the Coast Guard, who is:
[(1)] (A) Assigned to a
unit in the State; and
[(2)] (B) A member in good
standing[,]; or
(2) A disabled
veteran;
shall
be exempt from the vehicle weight tax provided for in this chapter.
(b)
For purposes of this section, "disabled veteran" means a
person who:
(1) Is a resident
of Hawaii;
(2) Has served in,
and been honorably discharged from, any branch of the United States armed
forces; and
(3) Has been determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor to have a service‑connected disability rating of one hundred per cent."
SECTION 3. Section 249-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(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[,] and 249-6[, and 249‑31.5], shall be subject to a $46 annual vehicle
registration fee; provided that alternative fuel
vehicles shall pay an annual vehicle registration surcharge of $50, which shall
be assessed and collected beginning with the first registration renewal for
every alternative fuel vehicle and shall be deposited into the state highway
fund established under section 248-8.
The surcharge 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.
For the
purposes of this subsection, "alternative fuel vehicle" means a
vehicle powered by a non-petroleum-based fuel, but excludes an electric vehicle
as defined in section 249‑36(g)."
SECTION 4. Section 249-31.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.
["§249-31.5
Exemptions from registration fees for certain vehicles; disabled
veterans. (a) A disabled veteran who:
(1) Is a resident
of Hawaii;
(2) Has been other than dishonorably discharged from the
United States uniformed armed forces; and
(3) Is determined
by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor to have
a service‑connected one hundred per cent disability rating for
compensation or a service-connected disability rating of one hundred per cent,
shall be exempt from payment of all annual
vehicle registration fees as required by section 249-31; provided that this
exemption shall not extend to any vehicle used for commercial purposes or to
more than one vehicle owned by the disabled veteran.
(b) The director of the office of veterans'
services, in consultation with the policy advisory board on [veterans']
services, shall submit a report to the legislature and the department of
taxation no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular
session providing the legislature and the department of taxation with the total
number of disabled veterans who qualify under this section for the exemption
from annual vehicle registration fees."]
SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Vehicle Weight Tax; Annual Vehicle Registration Fee; Disabled Veterans; Exemption
Description:
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
