[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6033912,"mediaKeyId","5347842-83ac1f6a35f3c6db7fcbfdd1e0157c5d","parentId",5347842,"title","Committee decisions: Summary of bills advanced by House transportation and joint housing/transportation hearing, March 13, 2025","audioSeconds",4,"startMs",0,"endMs",4680,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5347842-83ac1f6a35f3c6db7fcbfdd1e0157c5d&start=0&end=4","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5347842-83ac1f6a35f3c6db7fcbfdd1e0157c5d/thumbnail_0.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6033912/Hawaii/Committee-decisions-Summary-of-bills-advanced-by-House-transportation-and-joint-housingtransportation-hearing-March-13-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6033912-5fa5bf7902af3d8b90cb57f3df8af331/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142148&Signature=iB-mNcjlanpLtKD3cV~KBdz-aQoJ9q172sTWptXVOPw3uArn3rO0esulqlET56qNBlNHbEmdQ5PVlGiQomV~NIEfVX5a7Z28D7eFUr9DAaDpwpEtiAieSPqNNKTWjUrrwyLZCjvDTJbv~uNeJDd5aztGXJr234GIS~onf1J5RFOUPotDOMLoRUrv-FgbjodXYHpTeJxx4~wu2UNGWzx-dTGbmVO5WEhrz4mJoUE0rAg291FNeuzxfgep9J839ikJCGEJbj8RAIV5Zc7l2BiWQ~949iY74ZTDT7IyFbnEjOli8V6ubHUd4BzBFWsAtDsJ-rZNPd11NqEDqOfsQ1QNdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-14T08:11:10Z","article","At a joint public hearing and subsequent House Committee on Transportation meeting on March 13, 2025, committee members advanced a series of bills with amendments. The following is a concise summary of each measure's committee action as recorded in the hearing transcript.

Votes at a glance

- SB662 SD1 (joint House committees on Housing and Transportation): Committee members removed Part 1 (transfer of Kapolei streets to the city) to increase the bill's chance of passage and retained Part 2 clarifying police authority to operate on state streets. The housing committee and transportation committee each adopted the recommendation to pass SB662 SD1 with amendments; the recommendation was adopted in both panels. Several members were recorded as excused during the vote. Outcome: passed with amendments (HD 1 removing Part 1).

- SB1095 SD1 (license plates; decal size for specialty plates): Chair recommended adoption of HD 1, technical edits and deferred effective date to 07/01/3000; vote: passed with amendments.

- SB344 SD1 (highway safety; skateboard helmets): Committee adopted HD 1 and amended the minimum age in committee from 16 to 18 for skateboard helmet requirements; outcome: passed with amendments.

- SB30 (moped helmets): Committee adopted HD 1 to require helmets for riders under 21 and to prohibit operation by persons under 16; outcome: passed with amendments. (See separate in-depth coverage.)

- SB1216 SD1 (noisy muffler/exhaust inspection and penalties): Committee adopted amendments (including language proposed by the Motorcycle Industry Council and adjusted fine tiers) and passed the measure; outcome: passed with amendments. (See separate in-depth coverage.)

- SB1102 SD2 (aircraft rescue firefighting unit): Committee adopted HD 1, clarified term limits for the chief, expanded the list of candidates from the State Fire Council, and added Senate advice-and-consent language; outcome: passed with amendments.

- SB1522 SD1 (vehicle title transfers): Committee adopted HD 1, incorporated language from HB532 HD1, required new court forms with an extended compliance date to Dec. 31, 2025, and passed the measure with technical edits; outcome: passed with amendments.

- SB1117 SD2 (electric bicycle/micro-mobility rebate and program refinements): Committee adopted HD 1 amendments clarifying eligibility, funding cap mechanics, exemptions and program administration, removed multiple sections (insurance and certain appropriations) and moved portions of the bill into Chapter 291C as new statutory language; outcome: passed with amendments.

- SB1667 SD2 (transportation emergency exit routes and safe routes priorities): Committee adopted HD 1, prioritized emergency-route proposals to serve asset-limited and low-income households, required at least one Waianae Coast area candidate in a submitted list of sites, and set timelines for court and DOT coordination on camera expansions and reporting; outcome: passed with amendments.

Common administrative actions: For the measures considered by the House Committee on Transportation, committee records consistently note technical edits for clarity/consistency/style and a housekeeping deferral of effective dates to July 1, 3000 where indicated; those placeholders are typically changed in later drafting or floor action. Several measures also incorporated outside proposals (for example, Motorcycle Industry Council language in SB1216 and language from HB532 HD1 into SB1522).

Roll call details: For some measures the hearing record identifies members who voted aye and excused members (examples: Representative Cochran excused; Representatives LaChica and Perrick noted excused on several measures). The transcript does not contain a complete roll-call tally for every measure.

Next steps: Each bill advanced from committee will proceed according to legislative scheduling; any fiscal or implementation elements noted in committee (funding caps, program administration, or rulemaking needs) will be considered by subsequent committees or during floor consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HSG/TRN Joint Public Hearing - Thu Mar 13, 2025 @ 8:59 AM HST","oneSentenceSummary","A table-style roundup of measures the committee(s) voted to advance on March 13, 2025, including SB662 (joint hearing) and a slate of transportation measures; most measures passed with amendments and technical edits.","taxTitle","House Committee on Housing, House of Representatives, Legislative , Hawaii","taxId",25717,"location","Hawaii","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6033916,"House committee backs tougher muffler rules and higher fines; inspectors warn of enforcement, liability issues",1460,2732000,4192000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5347842-83ac1f6a35f3c6db7fcbfdd1e0157c5d&start=2732&end=4192","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5347842-83ac1f6a35f3c6db7fcbfdd1e0157c5d/thumbnail_2732000.jpg","/articles/6033916/Hawaii/House-committee-backs-tougher-muffler-rules-and-higher-fines-inspectors-warn-of-enforcement-liability-issues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6033916-49c561bcdb6557908bf4c1db06b0fb22/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142148&Signature=TX4YAcV9B~bUpBqPqeo6Bk069ddQF8G9vwo9-n7hjFBtRAV-eMfyocLI1B~TcC5QW1NxZ0OjiKMpA1xsrilM4e1JdGCPNwb594dbPz~lmX4y5l-6WCxInZl5plrQozE45bxUoLPKqhPTMJ~2719hfpbY3xTZWpuL7Vndcjip2Bb128AlIHzMUQCjAFhIGShn~Cz0k1iXuqubWpFdTjD-8e1NzDokEZxSx~e3mWyeoj8IGfaAyw4FjFiZif5vuWXulAS375IIO0Qc97rBI4-BlEt3ciuOP6cb8~5-akzQzyGckc4F0qm7fDz79wqlCnNAIR7ynLV725f8pKTV3qLvCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Transportation voted to pass SB1216 SD1 on March 13, 2025, adopting amendments that expand rules for safety inspections related to noisy muffler and exhaust systems and raise civil penalties. Committee members also incorporated language proposed by the Motorcycle Industry Council to prohibit sale or installation of mufflers that noticeably increase noise above factory levels, except for motorcycles and mopeds that comply with specified U.S. EPA regulations.

During the hearing, the committee signaled multiple technical and substantive edits: amended fine levels were proposed in committee (to $150, $350 and $950 tiers in the amendment text), and members instructed technical edits for clarity, consistency and style. The committee deferred the bill's effective date to July 1, 3000 as a housekeeping measure.

Department of Transportation staff provided written support for the measure. Industry witnesses raised detailed objections. Manabo Sato, cofounder and vice president of Moped Doctors Inc., said safety-inspection businesses already enforce noise standards and that the bill as drafted could expose inspection stations to penalties for vehicle modifications made after inspection. \"If there is a possibility of it having been approved by a safety inspection station and there are still problems with that moped's engine noise or muffler, that could be traced back to the moped shop or inspector who did it,\" Sato said, arguing that subsequent fines or license revocations would impose an unfair burden on shops that rely on inspection authority to sell and certify vehicles.

Sato also raised implementation concerns tied to different noise causes (mufflers, carburetors, damaged parts) and to the transition costs and training time for automobile and motorcycle inspection stations if they must adopt sound-testing procedures now used in the moped safety-inspection program.

Representatives of the Motorcycle Industry Council registered opposition in writing and by testimony; an individual witness, Mike Rosenman, flagged redundancy with existing laws and noted that mopeds currently do not require insurance, a point that earlier public testimony had raised in relation to proposed inspection forms.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about inspection documentation. Witnesses explained that the PMVI/photo inspection system records a vehicle's condition at the time of inspection but does not record sound levels; sound meters are used for noise testing.

After discussion, the committee adopted amendments and voted to pass SB1216. The hearing record shows the chair's recommendation to pass with amendments was adopted. The bill now moves from committee for further consideration, where any additional amendments or fiscal implications would be addressed.

Direct quotations and positions in this article come from participants identified in the hearing record.","Lawmakers passed SB1216 SD1 with amendments that expand inspection authority and raise fines for noisy mufflers; inspection-industry witnesses said the bill could impose liability and training burdens on safety inspection stations.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6033920,"Committee narrows moped helmet rule to under-21 riders, approves bill with amendments",1859,2175000,4034000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5347842-83ac1f6a35f3c6db7fcbfdd1e0157c5d&start=2175&end=4034","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5347842-83ac1f6a35f3c6db7fcbfdd1e0157c5d/thumbnail_2175000.jpg","/articles/6033920/Hawaii/Committee-narrows-moped-helmet-rule-to-under-21-riders-approves-bill-with-amendments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6033920-fa5d00ede7bf86f5014b1370e4f46f18/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142148&Signature=bFKCROaLDnGA28~cOSLzdTo-Hif9nzM2F3eDUXD6R1XJX7gYtP9uFTfdMaTeowoDm9USG-fkTqFfCImSm7Wrp4gi3WbgU03mPF~BEXE~uYY17jU75njEBuQ9-YycapKcjv93Kp-UQ8ZUoU9osOxRp6VNN1C6X6jfBaW0Wg1OnCJmjiZp22GJ4Jc~UhGIzRyXwBdG5-6M6T1StaHHWM-KYr2O3aSvmz41VSIU4BTj6KdyAJMLzTK5Sh9zgvobsLlEn085WY7LbKh3m5LdWNqj2PtHK0HxXLz00xONpvnj5OtKo4CVJly2ChsxEN4y7gmjrrWhH5V2iv8BTwEaauqE1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Transportation voted to pass SB30 with amendments on March 13, 2025, adopting language that requires anyone under 21 to wear a safety helmet while operating a moped and prohibits anyone under 16 from operating a moped. The committee adopted the HD 1 amendment and deferred the bill's effective date to July 1, 3000 as a technical measure.

The committee said the change is intended to focus helmet requirements on younger, higher-risk riders. Chair (House Committee on Transportation) said the committee would adopt the HD 1 and proceed to a vote. Department of Transportation staff provided written comment in support.

Industry witnesses testified at length. Manabo Sato, cofounder and vice president of Moped Doctors Inc., told the committee that mopeds show a relatively low number of annual fatalities in Hawaii, and he urged a more targeted approach. \"We have a statistical average of maybe 1 to 2 fatalities a year,\" Sato said, adding that enforcement and implementation could prove difficult and that an educational program targeted at younger riders might be a better initial step. Sato also described practical concerns about helmet types, peripheral vision and hearing, and said some riders remove helmets when they leave inspection stations.

Mike Rosenman, testifying as an individual, voiced concerns that the bill as originally written could be redundant with existing vehicle-safety laws and flagged enforcement and insurance questions already raised in committee testimony.

Committee members questioned witnesses about inspection practices and evidence collection. Sato said moped inspectors use a PMVI/photo system at inspection time that can document vehicle condition, but he emphasized that sound levels require a sound meter test that photos alone cannot capture.

Discussion (testimony and member questioning) was distinct from committee action. After taking public testimony and asking clarifying questions, the committee approved the amendment package and passed SB30 as amended. The chair announced, \"Voting on SB30. Chair's recommendation is to pass with amendments,\" and later said the recommendation was adopted.

What the action does and next steps: SB30 as amended requires helmets for riders under 21 and prohibits operation by persons under 16; the committee adopted technical and clarifying amendments and passed the bill out of committee. The transcript shows the committee set the bill's effective date to July 1, 3000 as part of committee housekeeping; final effective dates and any further changes will be set by subsequent floor action if the bill advances.

Voices and attribution in this report are limited to individuals identified in the hearing record.","The House Committee on Transportation approved an amended version of SB30 that requires helmets for moped riders under age 21 and bars operation by those under age 16; industry witnesses urged education and signaled enforcement concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee decisions: Summary of bills advanced by House transportation and joint housing/transportation hearing, March 13, 2025

House committee backs tougher muffler rules and higher fines; inspectors warn of enforcement, liability issues

Committee narrows moped helmet rule to under-21 riders, approves bill with amendments