HRS §266-29
State harbors can handle minor violations with fines
This section creates a system for the Department of Transportation to handle certain harbor rule violations with fines instead of going to court. The department will make rules for how notices, answers, and hearings work. People who admit to a violation can choose this system and give up their right to appeal.
everyone
The statute, as written — State harbors civil violations system; authorization
(a) There is established, within the department of transportation, a state harbors civil violations system, whose purpose shall be to process violations of departmental regulations for which administrative penalties have been authorized by law or rules adopted thereunder. (b) The department of transportation shall adopt, amend, and repeal rules, subject to chapter 91, for the purposes of this section. (c) Rules adopted pursuant to subsection (b) may include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Requirements for notice of state harbors infraction; (2) A form of the answer that shall be made pursuant to a notice of state harbors infraction, which answer may be an admission of the infraction, a denial of the infraction, or an admission of the infraction with mitigating circumstances; (3) The action to be taken after an answer is received or when a person fails to answer the notice of state harbors infraction; (4) Procedures for administrative hearings under this section; (5) The imposition and enforcement of monetary assessments made pursuant to this section; and (6) Means of assuring that the alleged violator who answers the notice of state harbors infraction by an admission of the infraction or an admission of the infraction with mitigating circumstances has knowingly and voluntarily elected to use the state harbors civil violations system and waive the appeal provided for in section 91-14. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all state harbors infractions that the department of transportation identifies as subject to administrative penalties may be adjudicated pursuant to this section.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.