HB663 authorizes the creation of a new special motor vehicle license plate commemorating the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). The bill directs the director of finance to issue the plate to Hawaii residents who apply and pay the required fees, and it requires the design to identify OHA while remaining consistent with standard plate size, visibility, and legal restrictions on content. The plate design would be developed in consultation with county finance and police officials and OHA representatives.
The measure also establishes a fee structure for the plate. In addition to ordinary registration and plate fees, the director of finance would set a special plate fee at least equal to the county’s cost of production and administration, plus a fundraising fee determined in consultation with OHA. The bill allows an additional renewal fundraising fee and authorizes revocation of the plate if that renewal fee is not paid. Revenue from the fundraising fees would be deposited in a separate county budget account in OHA’s name and directed to OHA through the most efficient means determined by the director of finance.
Impact
HB663 would amend chapter 249, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by adding a new special license plate program for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and would also amend section 10-13 to recognize revenue from the fundraising fees as income to be credited to special or other funds. In practical terms, the bill would create a new state-authorized fundraising and commemorative plate mechanism tied to OHA, while giving the director of finance authority over fee setting, revenue handling, and potential revocation if participation is too low. The bill also includes a minimum participation threshold, allowing the director of finance to revoke all plates if fewer than 150 are issued within three years.
Sentiment
The available legislative record suggests generally favorable treatment of the concept, but not enough momentum for immediate advancement. The bill’s purpose is straightforward and supportive of OHA, and there is no recorded floor vote or committee testimony indicating broad opposition in the materials provided. However, the House committee on CAA recommended that the measure be deferred, indicating that while the proposal was considered, it did not move forward at that stage.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are administrative and fiscal rather than ideological. The bill requires county and state finance and police officials to coordinate on design and implementation, which may raise operational questions about cost, enforcement, and intergovernmental administration. The fundraising fee structure, including the possibility of a renewal fee and revocation for nonpayment, may also prompt scrutiny over how much revenue is raised, how it is deposited and accounted for, and whether the program would attract enough participants to justify issuance. The 150-plate minimum within three years is another possible concern, since it creates a built-in termination trigger if demand is low.
An act to amend Sections 24801, 24826, 24827, 24830, 24862, and 24908 of, to repeal Section 24861 of, and to repeal and add Section 24863 of, the Public Utilities Code, relating to transportation.