HB2589 • 2026

RELATING TO DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.

Crime

Active

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

Sponsor: QUINLAN, HOLT, KAHALOA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KUSCH, MARTEN, OLDS, POEPOE, SAYAMA
Last action: 2026-02-20
Official status: 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).
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 DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.
Driving Without a License; Penalties; Negligent Homicide Clarifies that negligent homicide in the first degree shall include situations where a person causes the death of another person while operating a vehicle without a valid license.
Establishes that a violation of this provision shall be a class B felony, with escalation to a class A felony when the person has two or more prior convictions for driving without a valid license within five years.
Clarifies what constitutes a prior conviction for driving without a valid license.

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.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: HB2589 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2589 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2589 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.

Bill History

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. 660-26) 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: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Cochran, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
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.
2026-02-02 H
Referred to TRN, JHA, referral sheet 6
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.
Driving Without a License; Penalties; Negligent Homicide
Clarifies that negligent homicide in the first degree shall include situations where a person causes the death of another person while operating a vehicle without a valid license. Establishes that a violation of this provision shall be a class B felony, with escalation to a class A felony when the person has two or more prior convictions for driving without a valid license within five years. Clarifies what constitutes a prior conviction for driving without a valid license. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2589

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2589

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
This Act shall be known as
"Sara's Law".

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section
286-136, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read
as follows:

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"
(b)
�
Any person who is convicted of violating
section 286-102, 286-122, 286-130, 286-131, 286-132, 286-133, or 286-134 shall
be subject to a minimum fine of $500 and a maximum fine of $1,000, or
imprisoned no more than one year, or both, if the person has two or more prior
convictions for the same offense in the preceding five-year period[
.
]
;
provided that upon a second conviction for the same offense within five years:

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(1)
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The defendant shall
be guilty of a class A felony and sentenced pursuant to section 706-659 if the
defendant's action results in the death of another person; and

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(2)
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The vehicle
owned and used by the defendant in the commission of the second offense may be
ordered by the court to be subject to forfeiture under chapter 712A.
"

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

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Driving
Without a License; Penalties; Class A Felony; Vehicle; Forfeiture

Description:

Makes a second
conviction for operating a motor vehicle without a license within a five-year
period a Class A felony if the defendant's actions result in the death of
another person.
�
Adds forfeiture of a
vehicle as a penalty on a second conviction for operating a motor vehicle
without a license within a five-year period.

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