STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1518-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2298

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2298, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHAPTER 448E, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to strengthen the enforcement provisions of the electrician and plumber licensing law by:

(1) Defining "electrician" and "plumber" for purposes of enforcement;

(2) Prohibiting:

(A) Aiding or abetting an unlicensed person to violate the licensing law;

(B) Allowing a person's license to be used by an unlicensed person;

(C) Acting as an agent, partner, associate, or otherwise of an unlicensed person; and

(D) Unlicensed persons from advertising or holding themselves out as electricians or plumbers;

(3) Requiring the entity providing telephone service to disconnect the telephone number in any advertisement found by a court to have been placed by an unlicensed electrician or plumber; and

(4) Increasing the maximum fine for violation of the licensing law from $1,000 to $5,000.

The Board of Electricians and Plumbers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186, and Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Hawaii Chapter, supported this bill. The Regulated Industries Complaints Office of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs supported this bill with an amendment.

Your Committee has amended this bill to ensure that the requirement to disconnect the telephone number in an advertisment placed in violation of the licensing law includes all forms of voice communication technology, both cellular and land line.

Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2298, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2298, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair