Hawaii may soon become a safe haven for celebrities. State legislators are currently considering the “Steven Tyler Act,” a piece of legislation that would protect celebrities from being bother by reporters and photographers while they vacation in Hawaii.
Some legislators in Hawaii say that celebrities are deterred from vacationing or buying property in Hawaii because of the paparazzi problem. The “Steven Tyler Act” would penalize photographers who invade the privacy of celebrities.
“Many celebrities are deterred from buying property or vacationing in Hawaii because the same paparazzi that harass them on the mainland are more likely to follow them to Hawaii.”
According to the LA Times , Tyler, who has a house in Hawaii, was asked by J. Kalani English to be the face of the new bill.
English said:
“I have a lot of public figures who live here and this has been something that’s been on the plate for a while. Steven stepped forward and said, ‘I can be the face of it.’ “
The bill would allow celebrities to sue photographers who take pictures when they are “engaging in a personal or familial activity with a reasonable expectation of privacy.”
Of course, there is a fair amount of room for interpretation. Just what classifies a person as a celebrity? What is a “reasonable expectation of privacy?”
Jeff Portnoy, a media lawyer in Hawaii, said:
“It’s unnecessary, it’s potentially unconstitutional and it flies in the face of decades of privacy law.”
Still, 18 of Hawaii’s 25 senators have signed on to the bill. The “Steven Tyler Act” will now go in front of a judiciary committee.
What do you think about the proposed legislation? Last year, after a paparazzi photographer was killed trying to take a picture of Justin Bieber, the Canadian singer urged legislators to make new rules regarding celebrities and photographers. Do you think celebrities deserve more protection from the media?
[Image Via Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com ]