STAND. COM. REP. NO. 61

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 928

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. 928 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR A REGULATORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for one boards and commissions administrative assistant position to assist the Small Business Regulatory Review Board.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Small Business Regulatory Review Board and two board members, and the Hawaii Business League.

     Your Committee finds that the Small Business Regulatory Review Board meets monthly and its eleven volunteer business owner or officer members spend countless unpaid hours reviewing existing, new, and modified administrative rules that affect small businesses.  In the process, they analyze hundreds of pages of proposed rules to determine if there are better ways to make them less complex and costly for smaller firms, review current rules, and organize conferences on problems facing small businesses.

     The administrative assistant position proposed by this measure would assist in the Board's marketing efforts, be responsible for all administrative support, maintain the Board's website, monitor budget and procurement information, and coordinate meetings.

     Your Committee is in strong support of this measure and believes that its passage is critical to maintaining the successful work of the Small Business Regulatory Review Board.

     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. 928 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