STAND. COM. REP. NO.  184

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 242

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Intrastate Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 242 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs a Condominium Unit Owner Hotline to provide condominium unit owners with legal information relating to disputes with a condominium's board of directors.   

Three concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Real Estate Commission, Hawaii Council of Associations of Apartment Owners, Mauna Luan, Associa, and two concerned individuals opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting proposed language that authorized attorneys to voluntarily staff the hotline and required the hotline to be funded by the Condominium Education Trust Fund;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2099, to promote further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, or style.

     Should the Committee on Finance decide to deliberate further on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider funding to establish and administer the Condominium Unit Owner Hotline.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Intrastate Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 242, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 242, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Intrastate Commerce,

____________________________

TAKASHI OHNO, Chair