STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1038

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1382

       H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Government Operations and Economic Development, Tourism, and Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROCUREMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Establish a three-year small business assistance initiative within the State Procurement Office to facilitate the collection and development of relevant data and information and convene stakeholders for the development of an effective small business program, including the development of rules;

     (2)  Establish a small business procurement coordinator position, small business office, and small business advisory group as part of the small business initiative; and

     (3)  Appropriate funds for the small business assistance initiative.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Procurement Office; Department of Transportation; Small Business Regulatory Review Board; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; AMEL Technologies, Inc.; Minatoishi Architects; and Holomua Consulting Group, LLC.

     Your Committees find that establishing a small business assistance initiative with adequate staff and funding is a necessary first step in improving the climate and outlook for small businesses in Hawaii.  Your Committees find that small businesses are essential to the State's economy, create invaluable employment opportunities, and spur innovation and creativity.  Your Committees find that the initiative proposed in this measure will provide vital data for understanding the small business landscape in the State, and will facilitate responsible decision-making going forward when creating a small business program that will ensure the long-term success of small businesses, including veteran-, Native Hawaiian-, and women-owned small businesses, in Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Economic Development, Tourism, and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Economic Development, Tourism, and Technology,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair