SB1118 would prohibit newly established businesses, beginning January 1, 2026, from using, renting, or offering for rent combustion engine-powered mopeds in the course of their commercial operations. The bill is aimed at businesses that deliver goods or services by moped or that rent mopeds to consumers, and it is intended to push new market entrants toward electric mopeds instead of gasoline-powered models.
The measure includes an exemption for businesses established before January 1, 2026, allowing those existing businesses to continue using, renting, reselling, or offering combustion engine-powered mopeds. It also creates a penalty of up to $1,000 for each separate offense, with each prohibited moped counted as a separate violation. The bill would take effect upon approval and would add a new section to chapter 286 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
Impact
SB1118 would amend Hawaii transportation law by adding a new statutory prohibition on combustion engine-powered mopeds for newly established commercial moped businesses. It would not ban all gas-powered mopeds statewide, but it would create a prospective restriction tied to business formation date, affecting moped rental companies, delivery businesses, and other commercial operators that use mopeds. Existing businesses would be grandfathered in, while new businesses after the effective date would need to use electric mopeds to avoid penalties.
Sentiment
The bill’s stated purpose and framing suggest generally favorable sentiment toward cleaner, quieter transportation and reduced noise pollution. The findings emphasize public health, quality of life, lower operating costs for electric mopeds, and the feasibility of charging removable batteries without major infrastructure changes. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support beyond the bill text and its referral history.
Contention
The main policy tension is between environmental and noise-reduction goals and the burden on new commercial moped businesses that would be required to adopt electric fleets. Supporters are likely to emphasize reduced noise pollution, lower emissions, and lower maintenance costs, while potential opponents may focus on startup costs, fleet replacement expenses, and the grandfathering structure that treats existing and newly established businesses differently. The bill’s narrow exemption for pre-2026 businesses and its per-moped penalty structure are the most likely points of contention.
A resolution to direct the Clerk of the House of Representatives to only present to the Governor enrolled House bills finally passed by both houses of the One Hundred Third Legislature.
Relating to nonsubstantive additions to, revisions of, and corrections in enacted codes, to the nonsubstantive codification or disposition of various laws omitted from enacted codes, and to conforming codifications enacted by the 88th Legislature to other Acts of that legislature.