RELATING TO TWO-WHEELED MOTORIZED VEHICLES.

Housing

Active

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

Sponsor: OLDS, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, IWAMOTO, KUSCH, LA CHICA, MARTEN, PERRUSO, SOUZA, TAM
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary text does not provide information on penalties for violations or specific enforcement mechanisms.

Rules for Helmets on Two-Wheeled Motorized Vehicles

This bill requires all operators and passengers of two-wheeled motorized vehicles to wear safety helmets with securely fastened chin straps while operating or riding these vehicles in public areas.

What This Bill Does

Requires operators and passengers of motorcycles, mopeds, motor scooters, electric bicycles, and electric foot scooters to wear safety helmets with securely fastened chin straps when operating or riding on highways, streets, roadways, or any other public property.
Removes the exception for people renting moped or motor scooter from a rental company not needing to wear a helmet.
Requires all renters of electric foot scooters to wear a safety helmet regardless of their age.

Who It Names or Affects

People who operate or ride motorcycles, mopeds, motor scooters, electric bicycles, and electric foot scooters in public areas.
Rental companies providing moped or motor scooter rentals.
Entities renting out electric foot scooters for hire.

Terms To Know

Two-wheeled motorized vehicles: Any vehicle with two wheels that is at least partially self-propelled, such as motorcycles, mopeds, and motor scooters.
Helmet specifications: The rules set by the director for safety helmets to ensure they meet certain standards of protection.

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear how enforcement will be carried out or who will enforce it.
The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears to be a placeholder and needs clarification.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: The amendment requires all motorcycle operators and passengers to wear safety helmets with chin straps while operating or riding on public property in Hawaii, removes an exemption for rental companies, and mandates helmet use for electric foot scooter renters regardless of age.

Repeals the exception that allowed moped or motor scooter renters from a rental company not to wear a safety helmet.
Requires all motorcycle operators and passengers to wear safety helmets with chin straps while operating or riding on public property in Hawaii.
Mandates that electric foot scooter renters must wear a safety helmet regardless of their age.

The amendment text does not specify the exact penalties for non-compliance, which may be addressed elsewhere in the bill or existing laws.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-12 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Sayama, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-12 H
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 508) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2025-02-11 H
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Grandinetti, Evslin, Kitagawa, La Chica, Miyake, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
2025-02-07 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by TRN on Tuesday, 02-11-25 9:30AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to TRN, JHA, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO TWO-WHEELED MOTORIZED VEHICLES.
Motorcycles; Moped and Motor Scooter Rentals; Electric Foot Scooter Rentals; Helmets
Repeals the exception for when a person is not required to wear a safety helmet when operating a moped or motor scooter leased from a rental company. Requires operators and passengers of motorcycles to wear safety helmets with securely fastened chin straps while operating two-wheeled motorized vehicles on highways, streets, roadways, or any other public property in the State. Requires all renters or lessees of an electric foot scooter to wear a safety helmet regardless of their age. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB537

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

537

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to two-wheeled motorIZED vehicles
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that vehicular
safety has significantly improved in recent decades.
�
Seatbelts have become mandatory, drivers cannot
exceed a blood alcohol content of 0.008 while legally operating a vehicle, car
seats and booster seats for children have become mandatory, and cell phone
usage while driving has been restricted.
�

These changes have increased safety on our roads and survivability in
the case of accidents.
�
While there was
resistance to each of these safety measures, they have all become normalized and
largely seen as necessary precautions to promote public safety.

����
The
legislature further finds that operators and passengers two-wheeled motorized
vehicles are particularly susceptible to injuries and fatalities, as they are
fully exposed and lack the protections of cars and other vehicles.
�
One of the easiest methods to increase
survivability and lower the chances of brain injury during a crash is to wear a
helmet.
�
In cases involving crashes, national
statistics show that motorcycle helmets are thirty-seven per cent and forty-one
per cent effective in preventing deaths of operators and passengers
respectively, and sixty-seven per cent effective at preventing head injuries.
�
The data clearly shows that wearing a helmet
can save lives.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to require all operators and passengers of
two-wheeled motorized vehicles to wear safety helmets with securely fastened
chin straps
while operating or riding
on two-wheeled motorized vehicles on highways, streets, roadways, or any other
public property in the State.

����
SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read
as follows:

����
"
�286-
�
Two-wheeled motorized vehicles; helmets.
�
(a)
�
All operators and passengers of two-wheeled
motorized vehicles shall wear a safety helmet
with a
securely fastened chin strap that meets the specifications and requirements
established by rules adopted by the director while operating two-wheeled motorized
vehicles on highways, streets, roadways, or any other public property in the
State
.

����
(b)
�

For the purposes of this section, "two-wheeled motorized
vehicle" means any motor vehicle,
moped, motor
scooter, electric bicycle, electric foot scooter
, or any other vehicle that
is at least partially self-propelled, and has two wheels in contact with the
ground.
"

����
SECTION
3
.
�
Section 286-81, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

����
"
�286-81
�
Motorcycle, motor
scooter, moped, etc.; protective devices.
�

(a)
�
No person shall operate a
motorcycle or motor scooter, on any highway in the State unless the person and
any passenger the person carries on the motorcycle or motor scooter wears:

����
(1)
�
Safety glasses, goggles, or a face shield, in
the case of a motorcycle or motor scooter that is not equipped with windscreens
or windshields; and

����
(2)
�
Any other protective devices [
, other than
a safety helmet,
] required by
law or
rules adopted by the director.

For the purpose of meeting the requirements of this
subsection, a required device shall meet the specifications and requirements
established by rules adopted by the director.

����
(b)
�

Notwithstanding subsection (a) and section 291C-195, no person shall
operate a moped or motor scooter leased from a rental company on any roadway in
the State unless the person wears a safety helmet, which shall be provided by
the rental company unless the person provides the person's own safety helmet [
;
provided that this subsection shall not apply to persons who possess a valid
license under this chapter to operate a motorcycle or an equivalent license
issued from another state
].
�
To meet
the requirements of this subsection, the safety helmet shall meet the
specifications and requirements established by rules adopted by the director.

����
(c)
�

In addition to the requirements of subsection (b), no person shall lease
or rent a motorcycle or motor scooter to another person unless the person
furnishes:

����
(1)
�
Safety glasses,
goggles, or a face shield, in the case of a motorcycle or motor scooter that is
not equipped with windscreens or windshields; and

����
(2)
�
Any other
protective devices required by the rules adopted by the director for the use of
the person or persons intending to operate or ride as a passenger on the motorcycle
or motor scooter; provided that any person to whom a motorcycle or motor
scooter is leased or rented may furnish for the person's own use the protective
devices required by this part.

For the purposes of meeting the requirements of this
subsection, a required device shall meet the specifications and requirements
established by rules adopted by the director.

����
(d)
�

No person shall sell, offer for sale, or furnish any safety helmet,
safety glasses, goggles, face shield, windscreen, windshield, or other
protective devices represented to meet the requirements of this part unless the
device meets the specifications and requirements established by rules adopted
by the director.

����
[
(e)
�
No person less than eighteen years of age
shall operate or ride as a passenger on a motorcycle or motor scooter on any
highway in the State unless the person wears a safety helmet securely fastened
with a chin strap.

����
(f)
]
(e)
�
A safety helmet shall not be required for any
person who operates or rides as a passenger on a motorcycle or motor scooter;
provided that the motorcycle or motor scooter:

����
(1)
�
Has three wheels;

����
(2)
�
Is powered by an
electric motor;

����
(3)
�
Has a roll bar,
roll cage, or full body enclosed cab; and

����
(4)
�
Has a seat belt
assembly or a child restraint system for the driver and passenger;

and the operator and passenger uses the seat belt or
child restraint system pursuant to sections 291-11.5 and 291-11.6."

����
SECTION
4
.
�
Section 291C-139, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended as follows:

����
1.
�
By amending (d) to read:

����
"
(d)
�
No person under fifteen years of age shall
operate an electric foot scooter on a highway, street, roadway, or any other
public property in the State.
�
[
No
person under sixteen years of age shall operate an electric foot scooter unless
the person wears a safety helmet securely fastened with a chin strap.
�
The safety helmet shall meet the
specifications of and requirements for a bicycle helmet as set out in section
291C-150.
]"

����
2.
�
By amending subsection (j) to read:

����
"
(j)
�
A person or entity that provides electric
foot scooters for hire shall not rent or lease an electric foot scooter to any
person unless:

����
(1)
�
Each renter or
lessee [
that is under the age of sixteen
] wears a safety helmet [
, as
required by subsection (d),
] while operating the electric foot scooter; and

����
(2)
�
Each renter or
lessee is provided with a copy of the electric foot scooter ordinances or rules
that have been adopted by the applicable county."

����
SECTION
5
.
�
Section 291C-195, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

����
"(a)
�
Notwithstanding section 286-81(b), no person [
:

����
(1)
�
Less
]
less

than fifteen years of age shall drive a moped on a highway, street, roadway, or
any other public property in the State [
; and

����
(2)
�
Less than
eighteen years of age shall drive a moped unless the person wears a safety
helmet securely fastened with a chin strap.

The safety helmet shall meet the specifications
and requirements established by rules adopted by the director
]."

����
SECTION 6.
�
This Act does not affect rights and duties
that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun
before its effective date.

����
SECTION
7.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 8.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Two-wheeled
Motorized Vehicle;
Moped; Motor
Scooter; Bicycle; Electric Foot Scooter;
Helmet

Description:

Requires all operators and passengers of two-wheeled motorized
vehicles to wear safety helmets with securely fastened chin straps
while operating two-wheeled motorized
vehicles on highways, streets, roadways, or any other public property in the
State.
�
Defines "two-wheeled
motorized vehicles".

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