Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2317 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to continue to provide small businesses with a method of obtaining more favorable health insurance rates by making permanent the law allowing health insurers to treat a bona fide trade association and its members as a single group for the purpose of issuing a health insurance policy.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Association of Realtors supported this bill.

Your Committees find that at least 27 trade associations are receiving some form of health insurance premium discount under the bona fide trade associations health insurance law enacted in 2004, and that this law provides small businesses with an important alternative means of purchasing more affordable health insurance.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2317 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.