STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1140

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1832

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1832 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OUTDOOR ADVERTISING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to balance the need to preserve the scenic beauty and safety of our islands with the freedom of expression by placing reasonable restrictions on signs on certain types of property.  Specifically, this bill requires signs, billboards, and other outdoor advertising devices on residential and agricultural property to:

(1) Be under four feet by two feet, up to a cumulative area of sixteen square feet;

(2)  Be under eight feet by four feet, up to a cumulative area of sixty-four square feet in common areas of multi-unit residential structures with four or more units; and

(3)  Not be displayed in return for any payment, fee, or valuable consideration.

     Na Leo Pohai testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu opposed this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General provided comments.

     Your Committee finds that the restrictions on signage established in this measure may not be appropriate for agricultural areas, and has therefore amended this bill by eliminating the application of the provisions of this bill to agricultural property. 

     In addition, your Committee has also amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2112, to

          encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style,

          clarity, and consistency.

     Your Committee also takes note of concerns expressed that a single restriction on total square footage of allowable signs at one location might be a workable alternative to the combination of both individual and aggregate restrictions included in this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1832, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1832, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair