STAND. COM. REP. NO. 382

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1276

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1276 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SMALL BUSINESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make various administrative and technical amendments to the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act and codify the Small Business Bill of Rights.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Small Business Regulatory Review Board, the Hawaii Business League, and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that the amendments made to the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act and Small Business Bill of Rights clarifies the rights of small businesses in Hawaii and provides guidance on the meaning of various terms that impact the operation of small businesses in Hawaii.  Your Committees also find that increasing the number of members on the review board will alleviate quorum concerns in meeting their responsibilities.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1276, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1276, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair