STAND. COM. REP. NO. 182

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 12

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 12 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to entitle a separate line item to the Small Business Regulatory Review Board within the budget of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; Small Business Regulatory Review Board; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; and Hawaii Business League.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and the Office of Information Practices.

     Your Committee finds that the Small Business Regulatory Review Board provides practical feedback on certain administrative rules that may affect small businesses and their employees.  Your Committee further finds that small businesses account for the majority of all employers in the State and currently employ more than half of the State's private sector workforce.  Since 1998, the Small Business Regulatory Review Board has reviewed approximately six hundred thirty state rules.  A budget line item for operational expenses may provide board members the opportunity to more carefully and systematically plan future board activities.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 12 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Technology,

____________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair