Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was referred H.B. No. 2223 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update Hawaii's boxing laws by conforming chapter 440, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which regulates professional and amateur boxing contests in Hawaii, to the federal Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the State Boxing Commission.

Your Committee finds that this measure, by updating and conforming Hawaii's boxing laws to federal standards, increases safety precautions in order to protect the health and welfare of professional boxers, as well as expands the oversight and regulatory authority of the State Boxing Commission over the boxing industry in Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment to add a word deleted in error in the original draft of the bill.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2223, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2223, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.