STAND. COM. REP. NO.  554

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 730

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 730 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HEARINGS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the need for public participation opportunities for neighbor island residents who are impacted by changes to the Hawaii Administrative Rules by requiring:

     (1)  State agencies to hold public hearings in the county or counties that are primarily impacted by the proposed adoption, amendment, or repeal of any administrative rule; and

     (2)  At least one public hearing with thirty days' notice on each island where the proposed rule will likely have a significant monetary impact on residents or communities.

The Council Chair of the Maui County Council, member of the Maui County Council, Department of Environmental Management of the County of Hawaii, and an individual testified in support of this measure.  Hawaii Association of REALTORS testified in support of the intent of this measure.  The League of Women Voters testified in opposition to this measure.  The Office of Information Practices provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion.

     Your Committees respectfully request that your Committee on Finance further examine the fiscal impacts of the requirements in this measure.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 730, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 730, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary,

____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

____________________________ ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair