HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1324

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to mopeds.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 249-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  Bicycles having two tandem wheels that are twenty inches or more in diameter [and all mopeds] are required to be registered and shall be subject to a permanent registration fee of $15, to be paid by the owners thereof to the director of finance.  All mopeds are required to be registered every year and shall be subject to an annual registration fee of $15, to be paid by the owners thereof to the director of finance.  The owner of the moped shall submit a current official certificate of inspection, issued under section 286-26, as part of the registration process."

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the title of part II to read as follows:

"PART II.  INSPECTION OF VEHICLES AND MOPEDS"

     SECTION 3.  Section 286-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§286-21  Vehicles and mopeds without required equipment or in unsafe condition.  No person shall drive or cause to move on any highway any motor vehicle, moped, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer, or any combination thereof, unless the equipment thereon is in good working order and adjustment as required in this part [so as not to] and does not endanger the driver or other occupant or any person [upon] on the highway."

     SECTION 4.  Section 286-22, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) to (c) to read as follows:

     "(a)  [The chief of police or any police officer of any county may, at] At any time when the chief of police or police officer has reasonable cause to believe that a vehicle or moped is unsafe or not equipped as required by law, the chief of police or any police officer of any county may require the owner or driver of the vehicle or moped to submit the vehicle or moped to an inspection or make the necessary corrections or repairs.

     (b)  If the vehicle or moped is found to be in an unsafe condition or if any required part or equipment is not present or if any required part or equipment is present but not in proper repair, the officer shall issue a citation to the owner or driver stating the reasons that the vehicle or moped is deemed unsafe or not equipped as required and shall require that a new certificate of inspection as provided in section 286-26 be obtained within five days or that the defect be cured.

     (c)  If upon inspection, the chief of police or any police officer determines that any vehicle or moped is in such unsafe condition as to constitute a menace to the public or is not equipped as required in this part and cannot reasonably be restored to a safe condition or equipped as required in this part, the chief of police or police officer shall remove the sticker [which] that signifies the certificate of inspection and, with regard to vehicles, inform the director of finance, who shall [forthwith] immediately suspend the registration of the vehicle and give notice of the suspension to its owner.  Whenever the director of finance has suspended the registration of any vehicle under this part, the owner of the vehicle shall immediately surrender and forward to the director of finance the certificate of registration and the license plates last issued upon registration of the vehicle for the current year."

     SECTION 5.  Section 286-23, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read:

     "(b)  No person shall operate any vehicle or moped after receiving a citation with reference thereto as provided in section 286-22(b), except that if the driver is authorized to do so by the police officer, the driver may return the vehicle or moped to the driver's residence or place of business or the residence or place of business of the owner of the vehicle[,] or moped, or to an automotive repair shop, if within a distance of twenty miles, until a certificate of inspection is obtained or the necessary corrections or repairs are made."

     SECTION 6.  Section 286-24, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§286-24  [Registered owner's responsibility; registration plates as prima facie evidence as to the fault of the registered owner.] Responsibility of owner or operator for violation.  In any proceeding for violation of this part, the registered owner of a vehicle or the owner or operator of a moped shall be deemed responsible for the unsafe condition of the vehicle[.] or moped, or of the failure to equip the vehicle or moped as required by law."

     SECTION 7.  Section 286-25, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§286-25  Operation of a vehicle or moped without a certificate of inspection.  Whoever operates, permits the operation of, causes to be operated, or parks any vehicle or moped on a public highway without a current official certificate of inspection, issued under section 286-26, shall be fined not more than $100."

     SECTION 8.  Section 286-26, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

     1.   By amending subsections (b) and (c) to read:

     "(b)  [All other] Mopeds and vehicles[,] other than those under subsection (a), including motorcycles, trailers, semitrailers, and pole trailers having a gross vehicle weight rating of [10,000] ten thousand pounds or less, and antique motor vehicles as defined in section 249-1, except those in subsections (c) and (d), shall be certified as provided in subsection (e) every twelve months; provided that any vehicle or moped to which this subsection applies shall not require inspection within two years of the date on which the vehicle was first sold[.]; provided further that the inspection for a moped shall include a test confirming that the power capacity of the motor is two horsepower or less.

     (c)  Any vehicle or moped that has been involved in an accident shall be certified as provided in subsection (e) before it is operated again if:

     (1)  It is determined by a police officer or an insurer that the vehicle's equipment has been damaged so as to render the vehicle unsafe; or

     (2)  It is rebuilt or restored."

      2.  By amending subsections (e) through (g) to read:

     "(e)  Upon application for a certificate of inspection to be issued for a vehicle[,] or moped, an inspection as prescribed by the director under subsection (g) shall be conducted on the vehicle[,] or moped, and if the vehicle or moped is found to be in a safe operating condition, a certificate of inspection shall be issued upon payment of a fee to be determined by the director.  The certificate for a motor vehicle shall state the effective date, the termination date, the name of the issuing insurance carrier, and the policy number of the motor vehicle insurance identification card for the inspected motor vehicle as specified by section 431:10C-107 or state the information contained in the proof of insurance card as specified by section 431:10G-106.  A sticker, authorized by the director, shall be affixed to the vehicle or moped at the time a certificate of inspection is issued.  An inspection sticker [which] that has been lost, stolen, or destroyed shall be replaced without reinspection by the inspection station that issued the original inspection sticker upon presentation of the [vehicle's] current certificate of inspection[;] for the vehicle or moped; provided that the current certificate of inspection and inspection sticker shall not have expired at the time the replacement is requested.  The director shall adopt rules to determine the fee for replacement of lost, stolen, or destroyed inspection stickers.

     (f)  The operator of an official inspection station shall pay, from the fee in subsection (e), an amount to be determined by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91 to the director of transportation.  This amount shall be expended only for administration and enforcement of the periodic motor vehicle and moped inspection program.  The funds collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited into the highway special fund.

     (g)  The director of transportation shall adopt necessary rules for the administration of inspections and the issuance of certificates of inspection[.]; provided that the rules regarding inspection of mopeds shall be limited to implementing the requirement that mopeds be operated only with an exhaust system that meets original manufacturer specifications."

     SECTION 9.  Section 286-30, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§286-30  False certificates.  Any person who makes, issues, or knowingly uses any imitation or counterfeit of an official certificate of inspection, or any person who displays or causes or permits to be displayed upon any vehicle or moped any certificate of inspection knowing the same to be issued for another vehicle or issued without an inspection having been made or issued without authority as provided herein shall be fined [not more than] up to $1,000 or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both."

     SECTION 10.  Section 291C-194, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§291C-194  Driver's license required.  (a)  No person shall drive a moped unless the person:

     (1)  Possesses a valid driver's license of any category listed in section 286-102 or 286-239; [and]

     (2)  Meets the requirements of section 286-105(3)[.]; and

     (3)  Has taken and passed a moped education course approved        by the department of transportation.

     (b)  The driver of a moped shall, upon the demand of a police officer, exhibit the driver's driver's license or instruction permit.

     (c)  Any person who is convicted of violating this section shall be subject to penalties as provided under section 291C-161(b) and [[](f)[]]."

     SECTION 11.  Section 291C-206, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  Any person who violates this section shall be fined not more than [$500.] $1,000."

     SECTION 12.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

     SECTION 13.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 14.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Mopeds; Registration; Safety Inspections; Safety Courses; Fines

 

Description:

Requires annual registration and inspection of mopeds.  Requires operators of mopeds to enroll in safety courses in order to operate their mopeds.  Increases the fine for modifying a moped to $1,000.

 

 

 

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