HB387 amends Hawaii’s first-degree negligent injury statute, section 707-705 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, to expand the offense to cover bodily injury caused by the negligent operation of a vehicle while the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Under current law, the statute already covers serious bodily injury caused by negligent vehicle operation and substantial bodily injury to a vulnerable user caused by negligent vehicle operation; the bill adds a new category for bodily injury to any person when the negligent driver is intoxicated.
The bill is framed as a highway safety measure and is identified in the report title as part of the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package. It would make intoxicated negligent driving that causes bodily injury prosecutable as first-degree negligent injury, increasing criminal exposure for impaired drivers whose conduct results in harm even if the injury is not “serious” or “substantial” under the existing statute. The bill takes effect upon approval and includes a standard savings clause preserving prior rights, duties, penalties, and proceedings.
Impact
HB387 would broaden the scope of Hawaii’s first-degree negligent injury offense by adding intoxicated driving cases that cause bodily injury, thereby expanding potential criminal liability under section 707-705 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. This change would affect drivers operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs, prosecutors handling impaired-driving injury cases, and courts applying the negligent injury statute. It would also align the statute more closely with highway safety and impaired-driving enforcement goals by allowing prosecution even where the injury does not rise to the existing “serious bodily injury” threshold.
Sentiment
The available context suggests generally supportive sentiment toward the bill, with no recorded opposition in the provided materials. The measure’s framing as a highway safety and prosecutorial package bill indicates it was presented as a public-safety enhancement aimed at addressing intoxicated driving injuries. No committee transcripts or vote records were provided, so there is no evidence here of formal debate, amendments, or divided voting.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or voting history. Based on the text, any potential concerns would likely center on whether expanding first-degree negligent injury to include bodily injury in intoxicated-driving cases could broaden criminal liability beyond existing injury thresholds, but no legislator, committee member, or stakeholder is identified as raising that issue in the supplied record.