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HB 54 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES.

Summary
Increases penalties for a third or subsequent offense within five years of excessive speeding to a misdemeanor. Increases penalties for a second offense within five years of excessive speeding. Authorizes the court, as part of the person's sentencing for the third or subsequent offense, to order that the vehicle used by the person in the commission of the offense be subject to forfeiture. Requires individuals convicted of excessive speeding to be subject to identification processing procedures. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD2)
Issues: ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties and expands criminalization for speeding offenses, aligning with 'oppose' indicators like expanded criminalization.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationIncreases penalties for excessive speeding, enhancing road safety standards, which aligns with transportation safety indicators.90% confidence
Sub-Topics: Traffic Safety Driver Licensing Vehicle Registration Sentencing
Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2025 Last action Apr 15, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB54_SD1 → HB54_SD2 · 6 edits
MODERATE
This bill significantly increases penalties for repeat excessive speeding offenses in Hawaii. It creates a new misdemeanor charge for a third offense within five years, adds vehicle forfeiture as a penalty option, requires fingerprinting and photographing of convicted drivers, and clarifies sentencing guidelines for second offenses.
Scope change
The bill expands the severity of penalties for repeat offenders and adds new enforcement requirements that were not present in the original version.
ENFORCEMENT

Added new subsection (d) creating a misdemeanor charge (instead of petty misdemeanor) for a third excessive speeding offense within five years, with harsher penalties including up to one year license revocation and up to 30 days jail time.

Added new subsection (e) requiring convicted drivers to undergo identification processing including fingerprinting and photographing.

Added vehicle forfeiture as a new penalty option for third or subsequent offenses within five years.

Modified second offense penalties to require at least 48 consecutive hours of jail time if imprisonment is imposed, and clarified license suspension periods.

REQUIREMENT

Modified fine amounts and clarified surcharge language for various offense levels.

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 3000 (likely placeholder or error in the draft).

Floor votes · House Mar 4, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate. No roll call record of that vote is available.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
29
Key actions
8
Committee
10
Amendments
2
Apr 10, 2025
Amended
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Introduced
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 593) in amended form (SD 2).
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 21; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella, Richards. Noes, 4 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte, McKelvey, San Buenaventura). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) San Buenaventura ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard, Awa.
upper
Mar 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 03-25-25 10:01AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
upper
Mar 21, 2025
Committee
Reported from TCA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1332) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.
upper
Mar 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on TCA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TCA were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) DeCorte; and 0 Excused: none.
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on TCA has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
upper
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to TCA, JDC.
upper
Mar 6, 2025
Introduced
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 182).
upper
Mar 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Iwamoto, Perruso voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Shimizu, Souza voting no (2) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
lower
Feb 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Committee
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 384) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
lower
Feb 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Cochran, Kitagawa, La Chica, Miyake, Muraoka; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Grandinetti, Evslin; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Pierick.
lower
Jan 21, 2025
Committee
Referred to TRN, JHA, referral sheet 1
lower
Jan 16, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
lower
Jan 13, 2025
Introduced
Prefiled.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Lisa Kitagawa
Lisa Kitagawa
DDemocratic
HI
48