Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 156 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to evaluate the necessity for professional and vocational regulation in Hawaii by requesting the Auditor to conduct a comparative analysis of regulation in other states and in Hawaii, and to determine whether any such requirements are necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of consumers.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Hawaii Association of Realtors.

Your Committee finds that governmental regulation of professions and vocations should be eliminated wherever doing so will not jeopardize the health, safety, or welfare of consumers. A comparative analysis of professional and vocational regulations in other states and in Hawaii will serve to identify where Hawaii imposes regulations that are more burdensome than national norms, and will serve as a good starting point for further examining these regulations and determining whether they should be eliminated.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 156 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.