STAND. COM. REP. NO. 538
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 512
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.B. No. 512 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide an exception to the licensing requirements for electrical contractors in situations when an electric utility must hire contractors licensed in another state to assist with high voltage work.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Contractors License Board; Board of Electricians and Plumbers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 1186; and Hawaii Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO.
Your Committee finds that most in-state electrical workers are only experienced in low voltage work that is common in most homes and commercial buildings. High voltage work requires additional skills, training, tools, and equipment. Your Committee further finds that in an emergency situation, an electric utility may need to contract with qualified out-of-state high voltage workers to safely assist the utility with activities including storm restoration, complex maintenance, and repair work.
Your Committee has heard the concerns that this measure, as introduced, exempts out-of-state electrical contractors from chapter 448E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, at any time. Your Committee additionally finds that amendments to this measure are necessary to provide a very narrow exemption to the licensing requirements for specific individuals in situations where an electric utility must contract with qualified out-of-state individuals to work with high voltage.
Your Committee understands that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 1186, is beginning an apprenticeship program for high voltage work, which should alleviate the need to contract with out-of-state workers trained in high voltage. Your Committee concludes that a sunset provision for this measure is necessary. The sunset provision will allow an electric utility to contract with qualified out-of-state high voltage workers in emergency situations until in-state workers are appropriately trained through a high voltage apprenticeship program.
Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting language that would have provided an exception for electrical contractors retained by a public utility to perform high voltage electrical work, including emergency repair or maintenance work, from the licensing requirements of chapter 448E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and section 444-9.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes;
(2) Inserting language that provides a limited exemption to the licensing requirements for certain individuals in situations where an electric utility must contract with qualified individuals to work with high voltage (six hundred volts or higher) who are not licensed in Hawaii but are deemed qualified and authorized to perform high voltage work by another jurisdiction in the United States;
(3) Amending the purpose section for clarity;
(4) Amending its effective date to include a repeal date of June 30, 2018; and
(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
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 S.B. No. 512, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 512, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,
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____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair |
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