Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2898 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow the district courts to have jurisdiction over cases subject to arbitration agreements where the disputed amount is $10,000 or less.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Bar Association Collection Law Section.

Your Committee finds that labor arbitrations should be within the jurisdiction of the circuit courts and not the district courts, regardless of the amount in controversy.

Therefore, your Committee amended this measure to specify that for cases involving arbitration subject to chapters 89 and 377, Hawaii Revised Statutes, or the National Labor Relations Act, "court" means the circuit court of the appropriate judicial circuit.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2898, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2898, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.