HB 177 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO CIVIL IDENTIFICATION CARDS.

HB 177 proposes to eliminate fees for the issuance or renewal of civil identification cards, making them free of charge for all individuals. This bill directly affects anyone seeking to obtain a new civil ID card or renew an existing one. To implement this change, the legislation includes provisions for appropriating funds.

Issues: ✓ Immigration

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 14, 2025 Last action Apr 21, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB177_HD1 → HB177_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

HB 177 was revised to clarify that civil identification cards are issued free of charge, with specific fee waivers for homeless individuals and those facing extreme hardship. The bill also expanded protections against requiring applicants to disclose social security number eligibility and added new provisions for reporting changes in address or guardianship. Funding was appropriated to support these changes, with a requirement for county matching funds.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on civil identification cards, but applicability was clarified to include specific fee waiver criteria and expanded protections for applicants.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that identification cards are issued free of charge to residents and temporary residents, with fees established separately for compliant identification cards.

Added explicit prohibition on requiring applicants to furnish information about social security number eligibility or disclosing identities of applicants without social security cards.

Added specific fee waiver provisions for homeless individuals (with verification) and cases of extreme hardship.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirement for cardholders to report changes in address or individual in charge within thirty days, with provisions for issuing new cards free of charge.

FISCAL

Appropriated funds for civil identification card issuance costs, requiring dollar-for-dollar matching by counties for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date of the Act to June 30, 3000, likely as a placeholder for future legislative action.

HB177 → HB177_HD1 · 9 edits

MAJOR

This bill amends Hawaii's civil identification card laws to make issuance and renewal free of charge for all residents and temporary residents, while repealing the civil identification card fee special fund. The changes remove fee requirements and establish fee waivers for homeless individuals and those facing extreme hardship, with all remaining funds lapsing to the general fund by June 30, 2025.

Scope change

The bill expands fee exemptions from specific categories to all applicants and repeals the dedicated fee fund, shifting unexpended funds to the general fund.

FISCAL

Repealed Section 286-312, which established the civil identification card fee special fund, and added Section 9 to lapse any unexpended balance to the general fund as of June 30, 2025.

Amended Section 286-309 to authorize fee waivers for extreme hardship and mandate fee waivers for homeless individuals with corroborating verification letters, while removing the requirement to assess reasonable fees in the rules.

ELIGIBILITY

Amended Section 286-301 to require the examiner of drivers to issue identification cards free of charge to all residents and temporary residents, removing the previous fee requirement.

Amended Section 286-301.5 to make all applications free of charge and remove the requirement to pay fees for compliant identification cards.

Amended Section 286-301.6 to make applications free of charge and added protections prohibiting examiners from requiring applicants to disclose social security eligibility or disclosing identities of applicants without social security numbers.

REQUIREMENT

Amended Section 286-303 to allow renewal by mail or electronic submission for individuals 80 years or older and those with disabilities, and clarified that non-compliant cards are issued under Section 286-301.5 when renewal is not made in person.

Amended Section 286-306 to clarify that duplicate cards for lost or stolen cards are issued free of charge and added a requirement to surrender found original cards immediately.

Amended Section 286-308 to require reporting of changes in name, citizenship, address, or individual in charge within thirty days and to submit supporting documents and present the card to the examiner.

TIMELINE

Added Section 11 stating the Act takes effect on June 30, 3000, which appears to be an error or placeholder date.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 4, 2025

Amended

House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced

Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 539) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-31-25 10:02AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from TCA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1304) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on TCA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TCA were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on TCA has scheduled a public hearing on 03-11-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to TCA, WAM.

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 88).

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 13 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Lee, M., Alcos, Ward.

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 377) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

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, Grandinetti, Cochran, Evslin, Kitagawa, La Chica, Miyake, Muraoka; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Pierick.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to TRN, FIN, referral sheet 1

lower

Jan 16, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 14, 2025

Introduced

Prefiled.

lower

12 primary · 0 co-sponsors