Report Title:

Noise

Description:

prohibits as disorderly conduct, the operation of motorized equipment with noise levels exceeding 120 decibels, including lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and other grounds maintenance or construction equipment, between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., any day of the week.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2710

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to noise.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 711-1101, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§711-1101 Disorderly conduct. (1) A person commits the offense of disorderly conduct if, with intent to cause physical inconvenience or alarm by a member or members of the public, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, the person:

(a) Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior; or

(b) Makes unreasonable noise; or

(c) Subjects another person to offensively coarse behavior or abusive language which is likely to provoke a violent response; or

(d) Creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which is not performed under any authorized license or permit; or

(e) Impedes or obstructs, for the purpose of begging or soliciting alms, any person in any public place or in any place open to the public.

(2) Noise is unreasonable, within the meaning of subsection (1)(b), if considering the nature and purpose of the person's conduct and the circumstances known to the person, including the nature of the location and the time of the day or night, the person's conduct involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a law-abiding citizen would follow in the same situation; or the failure to heed the admonition of a police officer that the noise is unreasonable and should be stopped or reduced.

The renter, resident, or owner-occupant of the premises who knowingly or negligently consents to unreasonable noise on the premises shall be guilty of a noise violation.

(3) Noise shall be deemed unreasonable under subsection (1)(b) if the person knowingly produces noise by operating loud motorized equipment, including lawn mowers, leaf blowers, or other gardening, grounds, maintenance, or construction equipment, for any length of time between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., any day of the week. For purposes of this subsection, motorized equipment is loud if its noise levels exceed one hundred twenty decibels.

[(3)] (4) Disorderly conduct is a petty misdemeanor if it is the defendant's intention to cause substantial harm or serious inconvenience, or if the defendant persists in disorderly conduct after reasonable warning or request to desist. Otherwise disorderly conduct is a violation."

SECTION 2. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun, before its effective date.

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

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.

INTRODUCED BY:

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