STAND. COM. REP. NO.  614

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1219

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1219, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enhance protections for senior residents and other consumers by requiring the vendors of automatic renewal or continuous service agreements to:

(1)  Obtain the consumer's acknowledgment and affirmative consent;

(2)  Provide consumers with notice and disclosure that is consistent with this measure; and

(3)  Inform consumers of the vendor's contact information and their rights to cancel the contract.

The Office of Consumer Protection testified in support of this measure.  Oceanic Time Warner Cable provided comments.

     Your Committee notes its understanding that the measure applies only to consumer contracts and automatic renewals with a specified term of more than one month.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1219, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair