REPORT TITLE:
Activity Desks


DESCRIPTION:
Prohibits activity desks from receiving unauthorized compensation
as a condition for selling the goods or services of a specific
activity provider more than another.  Requires activity desks to
have both a trust account and a bond.  (HB751 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        751
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO ACTIVITY PROVIDERS AND ACTIVITY DESKS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 468M-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "[[]§468M-3[]]  Prohibited acts.  No activity desk shall
 
 4 engage in any of the following practices:
 
 5      (1)  Covering, concealing, or obscuring the name, address,
 
 6           or telephone number of an activity provider in any card
 
 7           or brochure;
 
 8      (2)  Placing a telephone number, address, or other
 
 9           information on any card, brochure, or other advertising
 
10           material produced or published by an activity provider,
 
11           whether by decal, sticker, stamp, or otherwise, without
 
12           identifying the activity desk by name and address;
 
13      (3)  Using a promotional card or brochure that does not
 
14           clearly display the name and telephone number of the
 
15           activity provider whose activity is being sold or
 
16           booked when the activity is located in this State;
 
17      (4)  Withdrawing any funds of a consumer from a client trust
 
18           account, other than a sales commission up to a maximum
 
19           of fifteen per cent or to make a refund to the
 
20           consumer, until the activity provider has been paid;
 

 
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 1           [or]
 
 2      (5)  Accepting moneys, gifts, certificates, or any other
 
 3           form of compensation as a result of selling the
 
 4           services of a specific activity provider; or
 
 5     [(5)] (6)  Failing to possess a current and valid
 
 6           registration prior to engaging in business or
 
 7           advertising as an activity desk."
 
 8      SECTION 2.  Section 468M-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 9 amended to read as follows:
 
10      "[[]§468M-6[]]  Injunctive relief; suits.(a)  Any activity
 
11 provider may bring suit to enjoin any violation of this chapter
 
12 and may sue in the circuit court in the circuit in which the
 
13 defendant resides or has an agent or in which the violation has
 
14 occurred.
 
15      (b)  Any activity provider may bring suit to enjoin an
 
16 activity desk or its agents from receiving extra compensation, or
 
17 another activity provider from paying extra compensation, as a
 
18 condition to marketing the goods or services of a specific
 
19 activity provider more than another.
 
20      [(b)](c)  Any activity providers association may bring suit
 
21 to enjoin any violation of this chapter and may sue in the
 
22 circuit court in the circuit in which the defendant resides or
 
23 has an agent or in which the violation has occurred.  The relief
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 available to an activity providers association shall be limited
 
 2 to injunctive and declarative relief and shall not include a
 
 3 right to damages.  As used in this section, "activity providers
 
 4 association" means a bona fide trade association of activity
 
 5 providers."
 
 6      SECTION 3.  Section 468M-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 7 amended by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
 
 8      "(d)  At the time of registration, the activity desk shall
 
 9 file with the department the account number and the name of the
 
10 financial institution at which the trust account is held [or] and
 
11 submit a bond or letter of credit as provided in section 468M-10.
 
12 The activity desk shall notify the department of any change in
 
13 the account number or location within one business day of the
 
14 change."
 
15      SECTION 4.  Section 468M-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
16 amended as follows:
 
17      1.  By amending the title and subsection (a) to read:
 
18      "[[]§468M-10[]]  Performance bond and irrevocable letter of
 
19 credit [as alternative to client trust account required of
 
20 activity desks]; coverage amount and computation; annual report
 
21 and option; adjustments; coverage upon transfer.  (a)  [If a
 
22 client trust account is not established and maintained as
 
23 required under section 468M-9, no] No activity desk shall be
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 permitted to operate in the State unless the activity desk[:]
 
 2 establishes and maintains a trust account, and:
 
 3      (1)  Posts a bond which is a performance or financial
 
 4           guaranty type bond naming the director as the obligee
 
 5           and which may be canceled only if the activity desk
 
 6           gives sixty days prior written notice to the surety or
 
 7           if the surety gives thirty days prior written notice to
 
 8           the director of cancellation of the bond; or
 
 9      (2)  Obtains an irrevocable letter of credit which is a
 
10           guarantee of payment for a term of one year naming the
 
11           director as beneficiary, with a provision for automatic
 
12           extension for additional annual periods, and which may
 
13           be canceled only if the activity desk gives prior
 
14           written notice by certified mail to the director and to
 
15           the issuer at least ninety days before the letter's
 
16           expiration date or the date on which the activity desk
 
17           intends the letter to cease being effective or the
 
18           issuer gives prior written notice by certified mail to
 
19           the director at least sixty days before the expiration
 
20           date."
 
21      2.  By amending subsections (f) and (g) to read:
 
22      "(f)  The amount of coverage shall be equal to the average
 
23 monthly net sales revenues of the activity desk as determined for
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 the twelve-month period ending on the last sales period ending
 
 2 date of the fifth month prior to the anniversary date of the bond
 
 3 or the irrevocable letter of credit; provided that the amount of
 
 4 coverage of the bond or irrevocable letter of credit shall not be
 
 5 less than $50,000 [and shall not be more than $100,000.  Any
 
 6 activity desk providing a bond or irrevocable letter of credit
 
 7 for the first time during the period beginning on September 1,
 
 8 1992, and ending on March 31, 1993, shall base its initial
 
 9 coverage amount on the twelve-month period ending on June 30,
 
10 1992].  If an activity desk does not have a full twelve-month
 
11 period on which to base the amount, the amount shall not be less
 
12 than the average monthly net sales revenues as determined for the
 
13 months available; provided that this amount shall not be less
 
14 than $75,000, notwithstanding the minimum amount of $50,000 for
 
15 regularly computed coverage.
 
16      (g)  No later than four months before the anniversary date
 
17 of coverage, each activity desk shall submit a notarized annual
 
18 report to the department verifying the monthly net sales revenue
 
19 figures for the twelve-month period upon which the amount of the
 
20 bond or irrevocable letter of credit is based.  [However, each
 
21 activity desk shall have the option not to submit the annual
 
22 report if the activity desk provides a bond or an irrevocable
 
23 letter of credit for the maximum amount of $100,000.]"
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      3.  By amending subsection (j) to read:
 
 2      "(j)  Failure to have in effect a client trust account[, or]
 
 3 and current bond or letter of credit shall result in automatic
 
 4 forfeiture of the registration.  An activity desk whose
 
 5 registration is forfeited shall apply as a new applicant for
 
 6 registration."
 
 7      SECTION 5.  Section 468M-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 8 amended to read as follows:
 
 9      "[[]§468M-12[]]  Restitution.  Any person who engages in an
 
10 act or practice that violates any provision of this chapter or
 
11 rules adopted pursuant hereto may be ordered by a court of proper
 
12 jurisdiction to make restitution to all persons injured by the
 
13 act or practice[.]; provided that an activity provider shall have
 
14 the right to claim restitution from the bond or letter of credit
 
15 should an activity desk cease operations or claim bankruptcy."
 
16      SECTION 6.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
17 New statutory material is underscored.
 
18      SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.