HB 307 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO SPECIAL NUMBER PLATES.

Summary

Authorizes the issuance of special number plates to recognize the island of Kahoolawe. Specifies the decal size for all special number organizational plates. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB307_HD1 → HB307_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised from a House draft to a Senate draft, updating the bill number and dates while standardizing the spelling of 'Kaho'olawe' to 'Kahoolawe' throughout the text. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new section specifying strict design requirements for organizational decals, including prohibitions on trademarks, obscene images, and religious content, along with specific size limits. The effective date was also updated to July 1, 3000, in both versions.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include specific regulatory standards for the design and dimensions of organizational decals used on special license plates, which were not detailed in the previous version.

TECHNICAL

The spelling of the island name was standardized from 'Kaho'olawe' (with an okina) to 'Kahoolawe' (without an okina) throughout the entire document.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the Act was updated from July 1, 3000, in the House version to July 1, 3000, in the Senate version, with the House version's date appearing as a typo (July 1, 3000) in the diff context.

REQUIREMENT

A new section was added requiring that organizational decals on special plates must not infringe trademarks, contain obscene images, promote religion, or exceed specific width and height dimensions.

The new requirements explicitly state that decals must not obstruct the visibility of the license plate number or letters.

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

Mar 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from TCA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1333) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

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: 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 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 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to TCA, WAM.

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 12).

upper

Feb 27, 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 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Alcos, Ward.

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 722), recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Garcia.

lower

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

Reported from CAA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 31) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Jan 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on CAA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kapela, Kong, Garrett, Lee, M., Sayama; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Reyes Oda.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to CAA, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 1

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 16, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

14 primary · 0 co-sponsors