HI HB1636

Requires all businesses providing shopping carts to permanently mark each cart with the business name or logo, with counties authorized to assess fines for violations.

Authorizes counties to impound abandoned shopping carts after giving owners three business days to retrieve them, or immediately if the cart impedes emergency services or is abandoned on private property with the landowner's consent.

Counties may assess impound fees, storage fees, and disposal fees on business owners whose carts are impounded, with fee schedules to be posted publicly on county websites.

Impound fees may be deferred for up to three carts per calendar month if the business implemented security measures such as self-braking wheels, physical barriers, retrieval patrols, or security personnel.

Counties must establish a buyback program allowing owners to recover impounded carts by paying a fee covering impoundment and operating costs, and may alternatively return carts directly to businesses with a $500 fine per cart plus retrieval costs.