Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 549, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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 measure is to appropriate state matching funds to establish manufacturing extension programs in Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the three-and-a-half year-old Hawaii Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has proven to be a powerful support for small and medium-sized businesses in improving their capacity and efficiency and has assisted with the diversification of Hawaii's economy. There is no other program directed at the manufacturing sector which, by federal definition, includes technology and high-technology products and services. The federal government has indicated that this is one of the most effective programs they have created and has allocated matching funds available to Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by replacing the $1 appropriation amount with $300,000 for fiscal year 2001-2002 and the same sum for fiscal year 2002-2003.

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 S.B. No. 549, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 549, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.