Bill > SB102

This bill addresses unauthorized restaurant reservation services by prohibiting third-party digital platforms (such as websites or mobile apps) from advertising, listing, promoting, or selling restaurant reservations without first obtaining written consent from the restaurant or its authorized designee. The legislation provides legal recourse for affected parties, including customers who are charged fees and restaurants whose reservations are listed without permission, allowing them to seek injunctive relief, actual damages (limited to the total fees collected by the reservation service), and attorneys' fees through a civil action. The bill defines a "restaurant" broadly to include dine-in establishments, food stands, pushcarts, and vehicles, and a "third-party restaurant reservation service" as any digital platform owned by an entity different from the restaurant that offers reservation services. The purpose of the bill is to protect restaurants from misleading and potentially harmful unauthorized reservation listings, giving them control over how their reservation services are marketed and sold. Any legal action must be brought within one year of the alleged violation, and the bill does not affect any rights, penalties, or proceedings that existed before its effective date.

Business and Industry, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=102&year=2025