03/31/23 Mayor Blangiardi signs Bill 57, designating sensitive places for firearms on Oʻahu

Mayor Blangiardi signs Bill 57, designating sensitive places for firearms on Oʻahu

HONOLULU - During a ceremony at the Mission Memorial Auditorium in Honolulu on Friday, Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed Bill 57 into law, designating sensitive places across Oʻahu where the concealed carrying of firearms is now prohibited.

The bill, which was passed by the Honolulu City Council earlier this month, goes into effect on May 1, 2023. The bill designates a number of areas as sensitive places where the carrying of firearms is not allowed, including:

• Schools and childcare facilities, from preschools to colleges and universities
• Public parks, excluding the Koko Head Shooting Complex
• City-owned buildings
• State and federally-owned buildings
• Theaters, stadiums, museums, and amusement parks
• Hospitals and doctor's offices
• Any establishment allowed to serve alcohol
• Polling places
• On public transportation, and at City transit centers, including rail stations

"This is a day that we've waited for with great anticipation, because we understand the gravity of this legislation," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. "From the very beginning, this effort has been about public safety, and I applaud the efforts of those in our communities, including the members of the Honolulu City Council, who joined our call for common sense legislation."

In accordance with the new law, the carrying of firearms into private businesses or charitable establishments is prohibited unless doing so is expressly authorized by those businesses or establishments. Signage announcing that firearms are allowed on the premises of those businesses must be clearly posted in areas where carrying them would otherwise be prohibited by law.

For interested business owners (other than businesses specifically listed as sensitive places, like child care facilities and bars), signs announcing that firearms are allowed will soon be available for free at Honolulu Hale, Kapolei Hale and Satellite City Halls across Oʻahu.

Businesses that do not wish to allow firearms on their premises are not required to take any action. Businesses may post signs notifying patrons that firearms are not allowed, though these signs are not required. Those signs will likewise be made available to the public.

"Honolulu got safer today. Bill 57 was the product of a collaborative effort involving Mayor Blangiardi and his administration, City Council, and the community as a whole," said Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam. "Over the course of five hearings, we identified what we would consider to be 'sensitive places,' like schools, playgrounds, and hospitals. We also worked to make clear rules that licensees could follow. This bill is a crucial step in protecting our island home from the violence and tragedies we see on the mainland."

Friday's signing ceremony was also attended by Councilmember Matt Weyer, representatives from the Honolulu Police Department, and community representatives who advocated for the adoption of sensitive places legislation, including Ilima DeCosta, a local woman who lost her daughter to gun-related domestic violence.

-PAU-

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