STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1653

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 180
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and
Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.R. No.
180 entitled: 

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION
     PRACTICES TO COORDINATE A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF CURRENT
     PROTECTIONS OF THE PRIVACY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION AND TO
     SUBMIT PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO THE 2000 LEGISLATIVE
     SESSION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to lay the groundwork for
the establishment of legal protections for private, personal
information, collected and disseminated by businesses, which
protections will implement the constitutional right to privacy
and are necessary to satisfy requirements for free exchange of
information with the European Union.  This resolution requests
that the Office of Information Practices (OIP) study current and
proposed privacy protections and make recommendations for future
privacy legislation that will recognize and address the concerns
of consumers, law enforcement professionals, businesses, and
others.

     Your Committees received testimony fully supporting this
resolution from OIP.  OIP testified that many businesses today
rely heavily on personal information profiles.  As a result,
rapidly developing methods increasing the ability to collect and
compile electronically stored personal information currently
outpace the average consumer's ability to track and examine the

 
 
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information for accuracy, and protect their privacy.  OIP
testified that a proper balance must be found between the right
of privacy and the needs of businesses, and that a survey among
concerned citizens and interested groups regarding participation
in this undertaking yielded a positive response.

     Testimony stating concerns and comments and requesting
involvement in the task force established by this resolution, was
submitted by Associated Credit Bureaus, Inc., a trade association
representing credit and mortgage reporting companies as well as
collection and residential and employment screening companies.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary and
Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your
Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.R. No.
180 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on
Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce and
                                   Judiciary and Hawaiian
                                   Affairs,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair              RON MENOR, Chair