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80 new laws
cover criminals,
adoptions, seat
belts, tires
Some of the state laws take
By Richard Borreca
full effect today, while some
set the stage for later action
Star-Bulletin
Kids in the back seat without a seat belt, peddlers selling cigarettes one at a time, criminals out on probation and even girls playing sports in public schools all had a stake in this year's Legislature.
More than 80 new state laws go into effect today, the start of the new fiscal year.
Some of the bills just start the clock ticking on a new state action, such as the law allowing a private company to be hired to take pictures of people running red lights and speeding.
The Department of Transportation will award a contract to a private firm to run the state's traffic-monitoring program that will record speeders and red light jumpers.
Violators will be mailed a ticket and the private contractor will get a portion of the proceeds.
The contract is to be awarded in August and the program is to start in the late fall, according to Marilyn Kali, DOT spokeswoman.
On Monday, the governor will sign into law bills that make it illegal for those under 18 to ride in the back seat of a vehicle without a seat belt. Also, fines for speeding in construction zones will double, Kali said.
For cigarette sellers, it will be a felony to sell individual cigarettes.
A new cigarette tax bill also goes into effect that will require cigarettes sold in Hawaii to have a tax stamp, but Ray Kamikawa, state tax director, said that portion of the new law won't start until next year.
For persons convicted of other crimes and sentenced to probation, get ready to start paying for your crime.
Criminals on probation will now have to pay the courts a $150 fee for terms of more than one year and $75 for terms of one year or less.
The judiciary will use the money to set up a fund to monitor probation, restitution and other conditions of probation.
Persons wishing to adopt a child in Hawaii are required to get a criminal history check.
New tires sold in Hawaii now have a $1 surcharge assessed by the state to support recycling and disposing of used tires.
The state Agriculture Department will be able to charge for aquaculture services such as aquatic animal and plant health diagnostic services, under another new law.
The state tax office will start charging excise tax on the sale of prepaid phone cards. It is not clear, Kamikawa said, whether this will raise the price of phone cards, because while the excise tax will now be included, two other taxes will be dropped.
In other tax changes, foreign diplomats are exempt from the excise tax and hotel room tax.
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