REPORT TITLE:
Const. Amend.; Consumer Law


DESCRIPTION:
Proposes a constitutional amendment directing the legislature to
refrain from enacting laws that directly affect consumers unless
the law is beneficial to consumers.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1959
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION DIRECTING
   THE LEGISLATURE TO REFRAIN FROM ENACTING LAWS THAT AFFECT
   CONSUMERS UNLESS THE LAW IS BENEFICIAL TO CONSUMERS.
 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      Hawai'i is in a prolonged economic slump.  Consumers have
 
 2 tightened their belts, foregone wage increases, and worked
 
 3 overtime and multiple jobs to be able to afford to live in this
 
 4 State.  Organized business interests have been able to lobby for
 
 5 laws that are favorable to them, but individual consumers are not
 
 6 that fortunate.  
 
 7      The purpose of this Act is to propose a state constitutional
 
 8 amendment to prohibit the legislature from enacting laws whose
 
 9 primary impact is on consumers, unless that impact is beneficial
 
10 to consumers.
 
11      SECTION 2.  The Constitution of the State of Hawaii is
 
12 amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated
 
13 and to read as follows:
 
14      "Section    .  The legislature shall refrain from enacting
 
15 any law whose primary intent is to have an economic impact on
 
16 consumers unless the law is beneficial to consumers.  A law with
 
17 another primary focus does not come within the restrictions of
 
18 this section.  The legislature shall enact laws to allow any
 

 
Page 2                                                     1959
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 aggrieved consumer to enforce this section, through appropriate
 
 2 legal proceedings as specified by statute, on the ground that a
 
 3 statute is more beneficial to business than to consumers."
 
 4      SECTION 3.  The question to be printed on the ballot shall
 
 5 be as follows:
 
 6      "Shall the state constitution be amended by requiring the
 
 7      legislature to refrain from enacting any law whose primary
 
 8      intent is to have an economic impact on consumers unless the
 
 9      law is beneficial to consumers?"
 
10      SECTION 4.  New constitutional material is underscored.
 
11      SECTION 5.  This amendment shall take effect upon compliance
 
12 with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
 
13 Hawaii.
 
14 
 
15                       INTRODUCED BY:  ___________________________