STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1408

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 60

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.R. No. 60 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSING DIVISION TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER STREAMLINING OR CONSOLIDATING ANY OF THE LICENSING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE DIVISION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division to convene a working group to consider streamlining or consolidating any of the licensing boards and commissions within the purview of the Division.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division is responsible for forty-eight licensing areas, including twenty-five licensing boards and commissions and twenty-three licensing programs.  In order to ensure the optimal use of the Division's resources and licensing fees and better address issues, concerns, and changes in the professions and vocations regulated or licensed by the State, this measure requests the Division to convene a working group to consider streamlining or consolidating any of the Division's licensing boards and commissions.

     Your Committee further finds that the Office of the Auditor has the requisite skills and expertise to conduct reviews similar to the one proposed by this measure.  Your Committee concludes that it would be more effective for the Auditor to conduct a review and make recommendations about streamlining and consolidating certain licensing areas, rather than requiring the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division to convene a working group on this topic.  Therefore, amendments to this measure are necessary.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the Auditor to conduct a review of the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division's forty-eight licensing areas and recommend whether any of the licensing boards, commissions, or programs or their administrative functions could be streamlined or consolidated, rather than requesting the Division to convene a working group;

     (2)  Requesting the Auditor to work with the Licensing Administrator and the Executive Officers of the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, seek input from certain professions and vocations, and explore how other states approach the professional and vocational licensing process;

     (3)  Requesting the Auditor to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014;

     (4)  Amending the list of individuals receiving a certified copy of this measure;

     (5)  Clarifying the findings to reflect the amended purpose of this measure; and

     (6)  Amending the title for accuracy.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 60, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 60, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair