Section 467B-9 - [Effective 1/1/2026] Prohibited acts(a) No person, for the purpose of soliciting contributions from persons in the State, shall use the name of any other person except that of an officer, director, or trustee of the charitable organization by or for which contributions are solicited, without the written consent of the other persons. A person shall be deemed to have used the name of another person for the purpose of soliciting contributions if the latter person's name is listed on any stationery, advertisement, brochure, or correspondence in or by which a contribution is solicited by or on behalf of a charitable organization or the latter person's name is listed or referred to in connection with a request for a contribution as one who has contributed to, sponsored, or endorsed the charitable organization or its activities.
(b) No charitable organization, professional solicitor, professional fundraising counsel, commercial co-venturer, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity soliciting contributions shall use a name, symbol, or statement so closely related or similar to that used by another charitable organization or governmental agency that the use thereof would tend to confuse or mislead the public.(c) No person, in connection with any solicitation or sale, shall misrepresent or mislead anyone by any manner, means, practice, or device whatsoever, to believe that the solicitation or sale is being conducted on behalf of a charitable organization or that the proceeds of the solicitation or sale will be used for charitable purposes, if that is not the fact.(d) No professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity, and no agent, employee, independent contractor, or other person acting on behalf of the professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity, shall solicit in the name of or on behalf of any charitable organization unless:(1) The professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity has obtained the written authorization of two officers of the organization, which authorization shall bear the signature of the professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity and the officers of the charitable organization and shall expressly state on its face the period for which it is valid, which shall not exceed one year from the date of issuance, and has filed a copy of the written authorization with the attorney general prior to the solicitation; and(2) The professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity and any person who, for compensation, acts as an agent, employee, independent contractor, or otherwise on behalf of the professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity, carries a copy of the authorization while conducting solicitations, and exhibits it on request to persons solicited or police officers or agents of the department.(e) No charitable organization, professional fundraising counsel, professional solicitor, commercial co-venturer, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity subject to this chapter shall use or exploit the fact of filing any statement, report, professional fundraising counsel contracts, written consents, professional solicitor contracts, charitable fundraising platform contracts, or platform charity contracts and written consents, or other documents or information required to be filed under this chapter or with the department so as to lead the public to believe that the filing in any manner constitutes an endorsement or approval by the State of the purposes or goals for the solicitation by the charitable organization, professional fundraising counsel, professional solicitor, commercial co-venturer, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity; provided that the use of the following statement shall not be deemed a prohibited exploitation: "Information regarding this organization has been filed with the State of Hawaii department of the attorney general. Filing does not imply endorsement or approval of the organization or the public solicitation for contributions."(f) No person, while soliciting, shall impede or obstruct, with the intent to physically inconvenience the general public or any member thereof in any public place or in any place open to the public.(g) No person shall submit for filing on behalf of any charitable organization, professional fundraising counsel, professional solicitor, commercial co-venturer, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity, any statement, financial statement, report, attachment, or other information to be filed with the department that contains information, statements, or omissions that are false or misleading.(h) No person shall solicit contributions from persons in the State or otherwise operate in the State as a charitable organization, an exempt charitable organization, professional fundraising counsel, professional solicitor, commercial co-venturer, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity unless the person has filed the information required by this chapter with the department in a timely manner.(i) No person shall aid, abet, or otherwise permit any persons to solicit contributions from persons in the State unless the person soliciting contributions has complied with the requirements of this chapter.(j) No person shall fail to file the information and registration statement, annual or financial reports, and other statements required by this chapter or fail to provide any information demanded by the attorney general pursuant to this chapter in a timely manner.(k) No person shall employ in any solicitation or collection of contributions for a charitable organization, any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud or obtain money or property by means of any false, deceptive, or misleading pretense, representation, or promise.(l) No person, in the course of any solicitation, shall represent that funds collected will be used for a particular charitable purpose, or particular charitable purposes, if the funds solicited are not used for the represented purposes.(m) No person shall receive compensation from a charitable organization for obtaining moneys or bequests for that charitable organization if that person has also received compensation for advising the donor to make the donation; provided that compensation may be received if the person obtains the written consent of the donor to receive compensation from the charitable organization.(n) No person shall act as a professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity if the person, any officer, any person with a controlling interest therein, or any person the professional solicitor, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity employs, engages, or procures to solicit for compensation, has been convicted by any federal or state court of any felony, or of any misdemeanor involving dishonesty or arising from the conduct of a solicitation for a charitable organization or purpose.(o) No charitable organization shall use the services of an unregistered professional solicitor , professional fundraising counsel, charitable fundraising platform, or platform charity.Amended by L 2024, c 205,§ 8, eff. 1/1/2026.Amended by L 2013, c 61,§ 8, eff. 5/1/2013.L 1969, c 167, pt of §1; am L 1978, c 182, §3; am L 1982, c 204, §8; gen ch 1985; am L 1993, c 206, §8; am L 1994, c 35, §1; am L 1995, c 50, §1; am L 2004, c 93, §8; am L 2008, c 174, §7 .This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.