REPORT TITLE:
Business, New, Public Notice


DESCRIPTION:
Requires every new business opening after the effective date of
this Act to provide public notice of its name and type of
business at least two weeks before opening.  Provides a mechanism
for nonbinding public input.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.99         
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO BUSINESS.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  Hawaii has a high concentration of mixed
 
 2 residential and business areas.  People in these communities
 
 3 often find out about new businesses coming to their areas only
 
 4 after these new businesses open.  While some businesses fit in
 
 5 with the established communities, others do not, either by
 
 6 bringing in a high volume of car and foot traffic, such as a gas
 
 7 station or convenience store, which can be disruptive, or be
 
 8 decisively changing the character of a neighborhood.  One example
 
 9 of the latter is an adult entertainment store that opened up in
 
10 McCully, which raised a distinct furor in the community.
 
11      The purpose of this Act is to require all new businesses to
 
12 give their surrounding communities at least        weeks' notice
 
13 that they are opening, so that the community has time to submit
 
14 nonbinding input on the appropriateness of that particular
 
15 business for that community.  In this way, both the people of the
 
16 community as well as the business will be served.
 
17      SECTION 2.  Chapter 201, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
18 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
19 read as follows:
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      "§201-     Notification of new business location.  (a)  Any
 
 2 business that opens a new location after the effective date of
 
 3 this Act shall notify the surrounding community of its business
 
 4 name and the type of business not less than         weeks before
 
 5 it opens to the public.  The notice shall inform the public that
 
 6 public comments on the opening may be directed to the director of
 
 7 the department, and shall list the department's mail and email
 
 8 addresses.
 
 9      (b)  The notice shall be:
 
10      (1)  Prominently posted on the storefront of the business;
 
11           and
 
12      (2)  Provided to the department and kept on file.
 
13 No business shall lawfully open without such notice.  In
 
14 emergency circumstances, or for good cause shown, the director of
 
15 the department may waive this notice requirement.
 
16      (c)  The department shall keep all public comments received
 
17 under this section on file and shall transmit a copy to the new
 
18 business in a timely manner." 
 
19      SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
20      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
21 
 
22                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________