STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1446

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 774

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 774, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SMALL BUSINESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to enable the Small Business Regulatory Review Board to hire additional staff.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Small Business Regulatory Review Board; State Procurement Office; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; Hawaii Farm Bureau; The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Maui Chamber of Commerce; and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the Small Business Regulatory Review Board is composed of small business members throughout the State who volunteer their time and meet on a monthly basis.  The members review existing, modified, and new administrative rules that affect small businesses to ensure that these rules are designed and implemented in the most cost-efficient and straightforward manner possible.  Your Committee notes that there is only one staff member assigned from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to assist the Small Business Regulatory Review Board.  Your Committee further finds that an appropriation for additional staff would help the Small Business Regulatory Review Board to fulfill its statutorily-mandated responsibilities.

     Your Committee notes that as the measure moves forward, thought should be given as to whether the position or positions will be part time, full time, temporary, or permanent.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Providing for an unspecified number of additional staff positions to be filled;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2053, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

     (3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 774, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 774, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair