SB 2146 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS.

Summary

Establishes a Traffic Fines Task Force that will examine the Finnish tiered traffic fines system, determine whether a similar system could be implemented in the State, and provide recommendations as to how a system could best be implemented. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Governor

Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Last action Apr 16, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB2146_HD2 → SB2146_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was revised to transition from a House draft to a Senate version, primarily updating administrative metadata and correcting a critical error where the effective date was originally set to the year 3000. The Senate version clarifies the bill's purpose by explicitly stating it establishes a task force to study a Finnish traffic fine system. It also adds a legal safeguard preventing task force members from being penalized for their participation and adjusts the composition of the task force by removing the requirement for specific designees and the cargo industry representative.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on establishing a task force to study proportional traffic fines, but the composition of the task force was slightly altered by removing specific appointment requirements for certain members and the cargo industry representative.

TIMELINE

The effective date was corrected from July 1, 3000, to July 1, 2026, ensuring the law becomes active in the near future.

REQUIREMENT

A new provision was added to ensure task force members cannot be subject to legal penalties solely for participating in the study.

The list of task force members was modified to remove the requirement that the prosecuting attorney and police representatives be 'designees,' and the cargo industry representative was removed entirely.

TECHNICAL

Administrative details such as the bill author name, file version numbers, and internal tracking codes were updated to reflect the Senate version.

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 16, 2026

Amended

Senate disagrees with House amendments.

upper

Apr 16, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 631).

upper

Apr 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Iwamoto, Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Amato, Garcia, Gedeon, Kong, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Olds, Pierick, Ratcliffe, Shimizu voting no (11) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Apr 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Gedeon, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (7) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1547-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama, Cochran; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama.

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Committee

Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1230-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Cochran, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Muraoka; and Excused: none.

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to TRN, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 16

lower

Mar 6, 2026

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 42) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Mar 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 21; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 3 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte, Fevella). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Ihara). Transmitted to House.

upper

Mar 2, 2026

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, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-25-26 10:55AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Committee

Reported from JDC/TRS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2205) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on TRS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TRS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C..

upper

Jan 29, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC/TRS has scheduled a public hearing on 02-03-26 10:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 22, 2026

Committee

Referred to JDC/TRS, WAM.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors