CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 100

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    H.B. No. 1004

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1004, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSUMER ADVOCACY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to enhance protections for consumers by:

(1)  Requiring the Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (Division) to restructure its operations pursuant to the Division's December 2006 report to the Legislature to improve its effectiveness and efficiency;

(2)  Appropriating funds to meet the costs incurred as a result of the restructuring process; and

(3)  Appropriating funds to the Office of the Auditor for research and support services necessary to protect Hawaii consumers by developing additional deterrents for identity theft.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting the following appropriation amounts:

(A)  $168,000 for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the same sum for fiscal year 2008-2009 for additional positions in the Division;

(B)  $30,000 for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the same sum for fiscal year 2008-2009 to send professional staff of the Division to specialized training seminars; and

(C)  $100,000 for fiscal year 2007-2008 from the Compliance Resolution Fund for the Office of the Auditor to provide research and support services to develop deterrents for identity theft;

(3)  Giving business and government an additional year to comply with the social security number protection provisions of Act 137, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, by extending the effective date of Act 137 to July 1, 2008; and

(4)  Changing the effective date to June 30, 2007, except for the appropriations in this bill, which are to take effect on July 1, 2007.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1004, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1004, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair	____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ HERMINA MORITA, Co-Chair
____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair	____________________________ TOMMY WATERS, Co-Chair
	____________________________ MICHAEL Y. MAGAOAY, Co-Chair
	____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Co-Chair