HI HB1626

Prohibits courts from imposing fines, fees, court costs, or surcharges against individuals adjudicated for offenses committed while under age 18, and prohibits such financial penalties against their parents or guardians

Allows courts to order community service for minors who violate traffic laws, provided it does not interfere with school or work commitments, as an alternative to financial penalties

Amends multiple Hawaii statutes covering traffic violations, DUI offenses, hit-and-run collisions, and driver education assessments to exempt minors from all associated financial penalties and surcharges

Cites that only 17% of fines ordered against minors in Hawaii have been collected in recent years, and that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth are disproportionately impacted by juvenile justice financial penalties

Encourages use of ʻāina-based programs connecting youth to Hawaiian culture, community, and the land as alternative accountability measures