CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 158

                            Honolulu, Hawaii
                                            , 2000

                            RE:   H.B. No. 1956
                                  H.D. 1
                                  S.D. 2
                                  C.D. 1
                                  




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the
House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate
in H.B. No. 1956, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

    "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SMALL BUSINESS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to
recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final
passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to assist small businesses in
this State by:

     (1) Making permanent the law enacting the Hawaii Small
         Business Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small
         Business Defender;

     (2) Transferring the Small Business Regulatory Review Board
         and the Small Business Defender to the Department of
         Budget and Finance (B&F) for administrative purposes;
         and

 
 
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     (3) Appropriating funds for the Small Business Defender to
         carry out the purposes of the bill.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

     (1) Expanding the purpose section to specify a direct nexus
         regarding small businesses in serving a public purpose;

     (2) Leaving the Small Business Regulatory Review Board in
         the Department of Business, Economic Development, and
         Tourism (DBEDT);

     (3) Transferring the Small Business Defender to DBEDT;

     (4) Allowing the Small Business Defender to hire attorneys
         under section 28-8.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (5) Specifying that the Small Business Defender's salary be
         within the range of salaries paid to the directors and
         deputy directors of the departments of state government,
         rather than as determined by the appointing authority;

     (6) Authorizing the Small Business Defender to request staff
         assistance from DBEDT, rather than B&F, and other
         appropriate state agencies in carrying out its duties;

     (7) Deleting the appropriation for the Small Business
         Defender and its related provisions; and

     (8) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity
         and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your
Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your
Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 1956, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 1956, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the managers:       

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE          ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE



_______________________________    _______________________________
LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Co-Chair       ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair



_______________________________    _______________________________
BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair       RON MENOR, Co-Chair



                                   _______________________________
                                   SYLVIA J. LUKE, Co-Chair