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 S.B. No. 1778, S.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide for prompt resolution of unlicensed contracting complaints by:

The Hawaii Government Employees Association AFSCME Local 152, the Hawaii Building & Construction Trades Council, and the Iron Workers Stabilization Fund submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

Your Committee finds that there is a need for contractor complaints to be expeditiously resolved, especially since construction projects are generally completed in a short amount of time, and the illegal work could be finished before the investigation has commenced.

However, there are concerns that the seven working days to commence, and 20 working days to complete an investigation do not allow sufficient time for a thorough investigation.

Therefore, to encourage further discussion of this bill, your Committee has deleted the number of days specified in the bill, and has changed the effective date to July 1, 2099.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1778, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1778, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.