STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3137

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2628

       H.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2628, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD-TENANT CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt from the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code residences directly controlled and managed by any university or college in the State and certain private dorm management companies offering beds to students.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Chaminade University of Honolulu and Hawaii Student Suites, Inc.

     Your Committee finds that there is a national movement for private dorm management companies to build and operate student housing in conjunction with colleges and universities.  As the student population in the State grows, local colleges and universities cannot meet the demand for student housing, and therefore must look to private dorm management companies to offer additional student housing.

     This measure extends the exemption currently granted to the University of Hawaii to all universities and colleges in the State and private dorm management companies that offer a minimum of fifty beds to students of any college, university, or other institution of higher learning in the State.  Your Committee further finds that the University of Hawaii was exempted from the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code because the Legislature recognized that a dorm could not operate in its unique market within the requirements of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code.  Now that other colleges, universities, and dorm management companies also provide student housing in the State, it is necessary to provide these entities the same exemption already provided to the University of Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2628, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair