STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1502

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 133
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 133 entitled:

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO FUND THE SMALL
     BUSINESS DEFENDER POSITION AND OTHER SUPPORT PERSONNEL
     ESTABLISHED UNDER ACT 168, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 1998,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to the
Legislature to fund the small business defender and support
personnel established under Act 168, Session Laws of Hawaii 1998.

     Your Committee finds that small business is the foundation
of the State's economy, and that greater emphasis must be placed
on helping Hawaii's small businesses in order to assist in the
recovery of the economy.  Your Committee further finds that this
bill will contribute to this effort by funding the small business
defender position and support staff, which provides legal
representation and other assistance to small businesses in this
State.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
bill by:


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1502
                                   Page 2


     (1)  Moving the small business defender position from the
          Legislature to the Department of Commerce and Consumer
          Affairs; and

     (2)  Making the effective date defective to ensure further
          discussion regarding this bill.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
133, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading
in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 133, S.D. 1.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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