STAND. COM. REP. NO. 384

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1472
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection to which
was referred S.B. No. 1472 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the forfeiture of
certain trade property belonging to unlicensed contractors.

     Testimony in support of this measure was presented by the
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA),
Subcontractors Association of Hawaii and Hidano Construction,
Inc.  Hawaii Woodcrafts, Inc., Maui Construction Association,
Jas. W. Glover, Ltd., Building Industry Association of Hawaii,
Contractors Association of Kauai, S & M Sakamoto Inc., CC
Engineering & Construction, Inc., G.S. Onaga General Contractor,
Inc., and Armstrong Builders, Ltd., though not present, submitted
written testimony in support of the measure.  Oral testimony in
opposition was presented by the Attorney General.

     Your Committee finds that unlicensed contracting continues
to be a problem in Hawaii for consumers, and believes that this
measure provides an effective enforcement tool against unlicensed
contractors.  Seizure and subsequent forfeiture of tools would
render the unlicensed contractor incapable of continuing to
operate to the detriment of the public.

     Your Committee has amended this measure on the
recommendation of the DCCA to delete references to the Attorney

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 384
                                   Page 2


General and to require that forfeiture proceeds be deposited into
the compliance resolution special fund under the DCCA.  Your
Committee has also made a technical, nonsubstantive amendment to
insert a missing word.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 1472, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B.
No. 1472, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Commerce and
                                   Consumer Protection,



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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