STAND. COM. REP. NO. 57

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 623

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation, to which was referred S.B. No. 623 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Small Business Development Center Network for:

     (1)  Three existing vacant positions and one new position;

     (2)  Reestablishment of a training program in Kailua-Kona to bring the network into compliance with requirements of the United States Small Business Administration; and

     (3)  Restoration of funds lost to indirect fees.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network.

     Your Committee finds that the SBDC Network provides thousands of small business owners and managers throughout the State with individual and group business training, counseling, and research.  As a result, many of these Hawaii residents have been able to expand or start new businesses.  In addition, the SBDC Network has been instrumental in bringing millions of dollars in federal funding to Hawaii since 1994.

     Your Committee applauds the work of the SBDC Network, and is strongly supportive of this measure to appropriate the additional funds necessary for the SBDC Network to continue its work on behalf of Hawaii's small businesses.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 623 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Taxation,

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair