Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 176 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to repeal the requirement that a time sharing plan agent wear an identification badge while off-premises and engaging in acquisition or sales agent activity.

The American Resort Development Association of Hawaii, Bay Club Ownership Resort, Inc., Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Pahio Resorts,Inc., Interval International, All Island Timeshare Resales, and five people working in the time share industry submitted testimony in support of this measure.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs testified in opposition to this measure, preferring to have time share solicitors use forms of identification that are not unlike those used by many other industries, while still requiring the disclosure of important information to the consumer in the form of a badge.

Your Committee finds that no other industry in Hawaii requires its members to wear badges identifying their affiliation with a particular industry, although their particular companies may require the wearing of company badges.

Your Committee further finds that it has been four years since the requirement to wear a badge was enacted, and testifiers indicate that regulations within the industry, enforcement of laws, and industry competition have eliminated the potential unsavory activities of the past, making this requirement obsolete.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 176 and recommends that it pass third Reading.