HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	199
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the hawaii public housing authority.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that parking areas and vacant land parcels under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii public housing authority are places where incidents of vandalism and other types of property damage often occurs. In addition, residents of public housing are often forced to cope with litter, trash, and excessive noise in the parking areas of public housing. These unsanitary circumstances and nuisances are often times caused by persons who do not actually reside at the public housing facility. The legislature further finds that closing certain problem areas to the public, coupled with appropriate signage and empowerment of law enforcement to police violators will better enable the Hawaii public housing authority to mitigate or eliminate these concerns.

The purpose of this Act is to expressly provide conditions under which all parcels under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii public housing authority and authority offices and facilities may be closed to the public so that trespassing violations may be prosecuted as criminal trespass in the second degree.

SECTION 2. Section 356D-6.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§356D-6.7[]] Closed to the public. (a) Any area within a housing project or on a parcel owned by the authority that is not a public street, road, highway, sidewalk, or county or state bus stop, shall be closed to the public where signs are displayed that read: "Closed to the Public – No Trespassing", or a substantially similar message; provided that the signs:

(1) Contain letters no less than two inches in height; and

(2) Are placed at reasonable intervals no less than three signs to a mile along the boundary line of the areas that are closed to the public and at all entrances to the property, in a manner and position to be clearly noticeable from outside the boundary line.

(b) Any authority office or facility shall be closed to the public during non-business hours where signs are displayed that read: "Closed to the Public – No Trespassing" or a substantially similar message and include hours of operation.

[(b)] (c) For the purposes of this section[:

"Housing project"], "housing project" means a public housing project, elder or elderly housing, as defined in section 356D-1, or state low-income housing project, as defined in section 356D-51."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

HPHA; Public Housing; Public Closure; Offices and Facilities; Trespassing

Description:

Includes any parcels owned by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority as areas that may be closed to the public. Specifies required signage.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.