Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 509, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department of Agriculture to verify state secondary standards by comparison with standards of certain laboratories recognized or accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, upon written authorization of the administrator of the Quality Assurance Division.

Your Committee received written testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Agriculture (BOA).

Currently, state secondary standards must be verified against the state primary standards, however the State does not have a metrologist or a certified metrology laboratory to do so. Incumbents in the two metrologist positions have resigned and the State's only certified laboratory was demolished for the Kakaako redevelopment project. According to testimony of the BOA, this measure would allow the State to use calibration by other qualified laboratories until the State can hire and train a new metrologist and re-certify its laboratory.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 509, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.