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HB2566
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
2566
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to special license plates
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION 1.
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The legislature finds that for over eighty
years, the civil air patrol has assisted emergency management agencies
throughout the nation with response and recovery efforts during and after
disasters.
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The civil air patrol is a
non-profit organization and an auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
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Its missions include emergency services,
aerospace education, and cadet programs.
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Members of the civil air patrol are volunteers who serve as pilots,
scanners, and ground crew in fulfilling its mission.
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The
legislature further finds that the civil air patrol's emergency response and
recovery activities include, but are not limited to, search and rescue, damage
assessments, aerial photographs of affected areas, alerts and notifications,
and transportation of supplies.
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For
instance, the civil air patrol conducted aerial reconnaissance for the State
after the severe weather incident in December 2021.
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The photographs were instrumental in
documenting the damage to roadways and bridges
on
the island of Maui and were included in the State's application for a federal disaster
declaration.
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Similar missions were
conducted during the Kilauea volcanic eruptions on the island of Hawaii and during
flood events on Kauai.
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When the
State has been threatened by a tsunami in the past, the civil air patrol has
been called upon to alert remote areas that are not served by the outdoor alert
system through speakers that are mounted to civil air patrol aircraft.
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During the Maui wildfires in August 2023, members
of the civil air patrol were in the emergency operations center assisting the
Maui emergency management agency and the Federal Aviation Administration in
enforcing temporary flight restrictions.
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As the volunteer
members of the civil air patrol respond to emergencies, a civil air patrol
special license plate would help make its members more readily identifiable by
police and other first responder agencies, thereby allowing passage through
roadways that may be closed to the public.
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During a tsunami warning, civil air patrol pilots, under the direction
of the Hawaii emergency management agency, often rush to their planes to take
off and provide alerts and notifications to the public.
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Although civil air patrol members carry
appropriate identification, the sight of a civil air patrol special license
plate on a vehicle may assist in more quickly identifying the individual as a
member of the civil air patrol.
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Therefore,
the purpose of this Act is to authorize the issuance of special number license
plates for members of the Hawaii civil air patrol.
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SECTION 2.
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Chapter 249, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:
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�249-
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Special number plates; civil air patrol.
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(a)
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Notwithstanding any law to the
contrary, the director of finance shall
provide,
for a fee, one set of special number plates upon the receipt of an application
together with s
pecific proof that the applicant was or is a member of
the Hawaii civil air patrol.
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(b)
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The design of the plates for former and
current Hawaii civil air patrol shall include the words "HAWAII CIVIL AIR
PATROL".
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This designation shall be
imprinted on the left side of the license plates in a manner similar to
congressional and honorary consul license plates.
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(c)
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Registration certificates and license plates
issued under this section shall not be transferable to any other person.
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Special number plates for service in the
Hawaii civil air patrol shall be assigned to a noncommercial passenger motor
vehicle, a noncommercial motorcycle, or motor scooter registered in the name of
the qualified applicant.
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Prior to the
transfer of the ownership of the qualified person's vehicle to another party,
the special number plates shall be surrendered to the director of finance as a
condition to the issuance of replacement special number plates; provided that
the director of finance shall allow the survivor of the qualified person, upon
request, to retain the front special number plate as a memorial.
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(d)
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The director of finance shall authorize the
design of a license plate that is readily identifiable and distinguishable
under actual traffic conditions and shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to
carry out this section.
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SECTION 3.
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New statutory material is underscored.
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SECTION 4.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
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Report Title:
Special Number License Plates; Civil Air Patrol
Description:
Authorizes the issuance of special number license plates
for members of the Hawaii Civil Air Patrol.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.