STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1003-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2272

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2272, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO QUALIFIED COMMUNITY REHABILITATION PROGRAMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to assist programs that employ persons with disabilities by providing that the exemption from the civil service law for county contracts lasting not more than a year and costing not more than $750,000, shall apply to contracts with qualified community rehabilitation programs regardless of the amount of the contract.

     The Arc of Hilo, Arc of Kona and Kona Krafts, and Anuenue Hale, Inc., testified in support of this bill.  The Hawaii Government Employees Association opposed this measure.  The Department of Human Resources Development and Ka Lima O Maui offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Specifying that the exemption for qualified community rehabilitation programs applies only to positions or contracts for building custodial and grounds maintenance services;

     (2)  Restricting the exemption to positions or contracts that do not exceed $1,000,000; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2272, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2272, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair