HB1696 • 2026

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: KILA, MIYAKE, POEPOE, TAKENOUCHI, Muraoka
Last action: 2026-04-30
Official status: Transmitted to Governor.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES.
DOT; DLIR; Commercial Driver's Licenses; Minimum Age Lowers the age of who may drive commercially within the State from nineteen to eighteen.
Repeals the requirement that a person only operates category 3 vehicles to qualify to drive commercially in the State.
Prohibits a person under twenty-one years of age from operating a commercial motor vehicle outside of a registered apprenticeship program as determined by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations or a structured, on-the-job training program administered by the person's employer that meets certain requirements.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

CD1

Hawaii published version CD1

Plain English: HB1696 CD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB1696 CD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
1696 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII S.D.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: HB1696 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB1696 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
1696 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES .

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: HB1696 HD2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB1696 HD2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
1696 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES .

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: HB1696 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB1696 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
1696 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII S.D.

Bill History

2026-05-01 S
Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 882).
2026-04-30 H
Transmitted to Governor.
2026-04-30 H
Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 803).
2026-04-30 S
Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none).
2026-04-30 H
Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-04-28 S
48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 04-30-26
2026-04-28 S
Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 9-26).
2026-04-28 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Thursday, 04-30-26.
2026-04-28 H
Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 9-26) as amended in (CD 1).
2026-04-24 S
The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Rhoads, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-04-24 H
The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Tarnas, Muraoka; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-04-22 S
Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-24-26 9:30AM; CR 329.
2026-04-22 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 719).
2026-04-21 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Inouye Chair; Rhoads Co-Chair; DeCorte.
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; Muraoka.
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. 604) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-04-14 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-04-10 S
48 Hrs. Notice 04-14-26.
2026-04-10 S
Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3792) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 1).
2026-04-09 S
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-04-01 S
The committee(s) on JDC deferred the measure until 04-09-26 10:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-03-25 S
The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 04-01-26 10:30AM; CR 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. 3106) 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.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to TRS, JDC.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 267).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1172-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-05 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Cochran, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Hashem, Sayama.
2026-03-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 03-05-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-20 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 653-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2026-02-19 H
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, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Grandinetti.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by TRN on Thursday, 02-19-26 9:00AM 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.
2026-01-20 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES.
DOT; DLIR; Commercial Driver's Licenses; Minimum Age
Lowers the age of who may drive commercially within the State from nineteen to eighteen. Repeals the requirement that a person only operates category 3 vehicles to qualify to drive commercially in the State. Prohibits a person under twenty-one years of age from operating a commercial motor vehicle outside of a registered apprenticeship program as determined by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations or a structured, on-the-job training program administered by the person's employer that meets certain requirements. Requires the Department of Transportation to amend its rules to lower the minimum age required for a commercial driver's license. (CD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1696

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1696

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to commercial driver's licenses
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section
286-102.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
[
[
]
�286-102.3[
]
]
�
Commercial drivers under the age of
twenty-one.
�
A person [
is
qualified to
]
may
drive commercially in the State in intrastate
commerce if the person:

����
(1)
�
Is at least [
nineteen
]

eighteen
years of age;

����
(2)
�
Is in compliance
with title 49 Code of Federal Regulations[
,
] part 390-396, subpart B,
except section 391.11(b)(1) in the case of an intrastate driver involved in
intrastate commerce in the State;

���
[
(3)
�
Only operates a
category 3 vehicle as defined in section 286-102(b)(3);

����
(4)
]

(3)
�
[
Shall
]
Does
not
transport hazardous materials [
as defined in section 286-2
], nor
passengers in a school vehicle as defined in section 286-181; and

���
[
(5)
]

(4)
�
Has had a category 3 state driver's
license for the two years immediately preceding driving commercially under this
section, with the following conditions:

���������
(A)
�
Has not had any
license suspended, revoked, or canceled; and

���������
(B)
�
Has not had any
conviction for:

�������������
(i)
�
Speeding
excessively involving any speed of fifteen miles per hour or more above the
speed limit;

������������
(ii)
�
Driving
recklessly, as defined by state or local law or regulation, including but not
limited to offenses of driving a motor vehicle in wilful or wanton disregard
for the safety of person or property;

�����������
(iii)
�
Making improper or
erratic traffic lane changes;

������������
(iv)
�
Following the
vehicle ahead too closely; or

�������������
(v)
�
Violating state or
local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control, excluding parking
violations, arising in connection with a fatal accident."

����
SECTION 2.
�
The department of transportation shall adopt
or amend rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to
lower the minimum age required for a commercial driver's license from
twenty-one to eighteen.

����
SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOT;
Commercial Driver's Licenses; Minimum Age

Description:

Lowers
the age of who may drive commercially within the State from nineteen to
eighteen.
�
Repeals the requirement that a
person only operates category 3 vehicles to qualify to drive commercially in
the State.
�
Requires the Department of Transportation
to amend its rules to lower the minimum age required for a commercial driver's
license.

The summary description
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.