STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1560

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   S.B. No. 506

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 506, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist Hawaii's service men and women when determining qualifications for an occupational license by clarifying and establishing various professional and vocational licensing requirements for military veterans.

The Hawaii Dental Association; Hawaii Association of Public Accountants; and Niwao & Roberts, CPAs, a Professional Corporation testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and American Institute of Architects Hawaii State Council provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee notes that the State has a strong interest in regulating doctors, dentists, and certified public accountants because of the nature of their work.  Therefore, the requirements for licensing of those professions should be left up to the corresponding professional licensing bodies of the State.  Further, your Committee finds that certain professions already have regulations relating to licensure by endorsement and licensure by reciprocity.  Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that the licensure by endorsement and licensure by reciprocity regulations in this measure shall not apply to a licensing authority that is subject to specific provisions regulating licensure by endorsement or licensure by reciprocity pursuant to another chapter of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 506, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 506, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair