HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The House Committee on Transportation advanced several bills at the state Capitol on Tuesday addressing transportation issues ranging from electric bicycle safety to rental car taxes and cruise ship fees.
Much of the discussion focused on electric bicycles as lawmakers took up House Bill 2021, a revised version of last year’s e-bike legislation that was vetoed.
Supporters say the bill aims to clarify how electric bicycles are defined and regulated.
Honolulu resident Charles Cox, who testified in favor of the bill, said stronger rules are needed.
“This has really become the Wild West,” Cox said. “Probably most of you have seen little kids come zipping out around a corner on the sidewalk with some high-speed motorized vehicle. It’s crazy.”
The updated bill, adopted by the committee, clarifies where electric bicycles can be operated and sets speed limits. It allows properly classified e-bikes to operate on sidewalks at speeds of 10 miles per hour or less while prohibiting high-speed electric devices and nonconforming models from operating on public roadways.
State Rep. Darius Kila emphasized that the bill does not require insurance for road-legal electric bicycles.
“Nothing in this section shall be construed to require insurance requirements for the operation of road-legal, permitted and classified electric bicycles,” Kila said.
The measure also includes age restrictions, requiring riders under 16 to be supervised by a parent or guardian when operating certain classes of electric bicycles.
The debate comes as concerns over e-bike safety continue statewide. Early Tuesday morning, police responded to a critical collision involving a 20-year-old e-bike rider and a 36-year-old motorist near Farrington Highway and Hikukahi Street in Kapolei.
Rep. Trish La Chica said the legislation would give law enforcement clearer authority.
“We’ve waited far too long to regulate this,” La Chica said. “It gives us a tool not just to educate, but also to properly enforce the rules of the road.”
In addition to e-bike legislation, lawmakers also heard measures that would modify rental car taxes to support the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and adjust how cruise ship fees are assessed.
All of the measures advanced out of committee and will move forward in the legislative process.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
