Senate Committee on Judiciary advances 13 House bills on digitized IDs, helmets, housing and other measures

The Senate Committee on Judiciary held a decision-making session (date not specified) and approved a package of 13 House bills covering digitized identification cards, water-shortage declarations, pet insurance regulation, helmet requirements for skateboard users under 16, timing for the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act changes, firearms-reporting deadlines, correctional-oversight coordinator terms, housing-authority powers, public-health nuisance authority, motorcycle-permit training requirements, speed-limit engineering exceptions, false labeling for roasted coffee, and public-lands lease lotteries.

Most measures were adopted on voice votes or by unanimous consent after brief presentation and technical amendments. Committee chair Rhoads and Vice Chair Gabbard cast recorded “aye” votes on measures where individual votes were read; several measures were noted as having a defective (incorrect) effective date and the committee directed technical fixes or left those corrections to the subject-matter committees.

HB 472 (HD1 SD1) — digitized identification: The measure would allow digitized identification cards to be accepted as proof of identity in specified circumstances and authorizes state and county law-enforcement agencies to accept a digitized ID. The committee removed a liability shield referenced in earlier drafts so that ordinary liability rules would apply and revised an exemption to clarify that the section does not apply where a physical copy of a current driver’s license, a valid passport or visa, or other identity card is required by state or federal law. Chair Rhoads, Vice Chair Gabbard and Senator Chang voted “aye”; Senator San Buenaventura was excused; Senator Fuentura voted “aye.” The committee’s…