Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2426 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to align training requirements for licensure of elevator mechanics with federal apprenticeship standards.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Board of Elevator Mechanics (Board).

Your Committee finds that a person becomes a licensed elevator mechanic by passing the Board's examination and satisfactorily completing at least two years as an apprentice under the supervision of a licensed elevator mechanic.

Your Committee further finds that the federal Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT) sets guideline standards for apprenticeship training in various industries, including elevator mechanics, for which four years as an apprentice is required. Hawaii's apprenticeship program (HAP) is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR).

HAP received approval from BAT and DLIR in March 2003. Thus, the Board's licensing requirements must be consistent with BAT's federal guidelines. This bill aligns elevator mechanic licensure requirements with these guidelines, by increasing the apprenticeship requirement from two to four years.

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 H.B. No. 2426 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.