HB1523 • 2026

RELATING TO THE STATEWIDE TRAFFIC CODE.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: TARNAS, AMATO, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KITAGAWA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MARTEN, OLDS, PERRUSO, PIERICK, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TODD, Matsumoto
Last action: 2026-04-20
Official status: Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information about the practical effects of removing references to countdown timers.

Changes to Pedestrian-Control Signals

This bill removes references to countdown timers in the statewide traffic code, including the requirement that pedestrians must begin crossing a roadway before a countdown timer begins.

What This Bill Does

Removes references to countdown timers as it relates to pedestrian-control signals.
Eliminates the rule requiring pedestrians to begin crossing a roadway before a countdown timer starts.

Who It Names or Affects

Pedestrians who use pedestrian-control signals with countdown timers.
Drivers and traffic enforcement agencies that follow the statewide traffic code.

Terms To Know

Countdown Timer: A device on pedestrian signals that shows how much time is left for pedestrians to cross safely.
Pedestrian-Control Signals: Traffic lights specifically designed to help pedestrians know when it's safe to cross the road.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a pedestrian starts crossing after the countdown timer begins.
It is unclear how this change will affect traffic safety and pedestrian behavior in practice.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment removes the requirement that pedestrians must start crossing before a countdown timer begins at pedestrian-control signals.

Removes references to countdown timers in pedestrian-control signal regulations.

The summary does not provide information on how this change will be implemented or enforced.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment removes the requirement that pedestrians must start crossing before a countdown timer begins at pedestrian-control signals.

Removes references to countdown timers in pedestrian-control signal regulations.

The exact impact on pedestrian safety and traffic flow is not specified or discussed in the amendment text.

Bill History

2026-04-20 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).
2026-04-20 H
House Conferees Appointed: Kila, Tarnas Co-Chairs; Pierick.
2026-04-17 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 780).
2026-04-16 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2026-04-14 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 580) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-04-14 S
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 22; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 3 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte, Fevella). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-04-09 S
48 Hrs. Notice 04-14-26.
2026-04-09 S
Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3691) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 1).
2026-03-31 S
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.
2026-03-25 S
The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 03-31-26 10:30AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-03-23 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to JDC.
2026-03-23 S
Reported from TRS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3105) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and referral to JDC.
2026-03-17 S
The committee(s) on TRS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in TRS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha, Lee, C., DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-13 S
The committee(s) on TRS has rescheduled its public hearing to 03-17-26 3:00PM; CR 229 & Videoconference.
2026-03-13 S
The committee(s) on TRS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-17-26 3:05PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2026-03-10 S
Referred to TRS, JDC.
2026-03-10 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-10 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 135).
2026-03-06 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Olds voting no (1) and Representative(s) Perruso, Quinlan, Sayama excused (3). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 993-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-26 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran.
2026-02-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 02-26-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-18 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Gedeon, Muraoka voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-18 H
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 444-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2026-02-17 H
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Muraoka; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick.
2026-02-12 H
Bill scheduled for decision making on Tuesday, 02-17-26 9:15AM in conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-12 H
The committee(s) on TRN recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-17-26 at 9:15AM.
2026-02-10 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by TRN on Thursday, 02-12-26 8:30AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to TRN, JHA, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-14 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE STATEWIDE TRAFFIC CODE.
Pedestrian-control Signals; Traffic Code; Countdown Timer
Removes references to countdown timers as it relates to pedestrian-control signals, including the requirement that pedestrians must begin crossing a roadway before a countdown timer begins. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1523

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1523

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the statewide traffic code
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section
291C-33, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
�291C-33
�
Pedestrian-control
signals.
�
Whenever special
pedestrian-control signals exhibiting the words "Walk" or "Don't
Walk"[
,
]
or
the symbols of a walking person or an upraised
palm[
, or a countdown timer
] are in place, such signals shall indicate
as follows:

����
(1)
�
Walk or Walking
Person.
�
Pedestrians facing such signal
may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be
given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles;
and

����
(2)
�
Don't Walk or
Upraised Palm.
�
No pedestrian shall start
to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal, whether flashing or
steady, but any pedestrian who has partially completed the pedestrian's
crossing on the Walk or Walking Person signal shall complete the crossing to a
sidewalk or safety island while the Don't Walk or Upraised Palm signal is
showing[
; and

����
(3)
�
Countdown
timer.
�
If the pedestrian-control signal
is equipped with a countdown timer, no pedestrian shall start to cross the
roadway in the direction of such signal once the countdown begins, but any
pedestrian who has partially completed the pedestrian's crossing when the
countdown begins shall complete the crossing to a sidewalk or safety island
before the countdown timer ends
]."

����
SECTION
2.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Pedestrian-control
Signals; Traffic Code; Countdown Timer

Description:

Removes references
to countdown timers as it relates to pedestrian-control signals, including the
requirement that pedestrians must begin crossing a roadway before a countdown
timer begins.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.