CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 68

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2017

RE:    S.B. No. 1264

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1264, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SECURITY GUARDS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the process for registration, license renewal, instruction, and training for security guards.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that since 2013, applicants for guard licensure have had to meet certain registration, renewal, instruction, and training requirements prior to acting as a guard.  In addition, the Board of Private Detectives and Guards (Board) and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs have been working diligently to address the concerns of the security guard industry regarding the registration and renewal process for guard licensure.  Your Committee on Conference notes that the Board has made a number of process improvements to minimize application processing times and ensure that application backlogs are kept to a minimum.

     Your Committee on Conference further finds that this measure amends the process for registration, license renewal, instruction, and training for security guards.  However, additional amendments to this measure are necessary that can reduce the time and cost of licensure for security guards and further streamline the registration process, without compromising essential consumer protection.

     Accordingly, your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that, beginning on June 30, 2018, the registration renewal cycle for security guards shall be on a triennial basis, while maintaining a biennial registration renewal cycle for other licensees within the Board's jurisdiction;

     (2)  Specifying that security guards must meet certain registration, instruction, and training requirements prior to acting as a guard, rather than meeting these requirements from the first day of employment;

     (3)  Allowing a security guard applicant for registration to self-attest that the applicant possesses a high school education or its equivalent, as part of the application process;

     (4)  Clarifying that an applicant must submit to a national criminal history record check as authorized by federal law and a criminal history record check from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, as part of the application process;

     (5)  Clarifying that guards and individuals acting in a guard capacity shall successfully complete eight hours of classroom instruction before the first day of service and, prior to the June 30, 2021, triennial registration renewal and every registration renewal thereafter, four hours of classroom instruction during each triennial registration renewal period;

     (6)  Deleting language that required the Board to establish the number of hours of classroom instruction that must be completed by guards and individuals acting in a guard capacity and permitted the Board to require up to eight hours of classroom instruction before the first day of service and at every triennial registration renewal period;

     (7)  Clarifying that the definition of "classroom instruction" applies to the initial instruction and continuing education requirements and includes two-way teleconferencing and other interactive educational formats approved by the Board;

     (8)  Specifying that guards who registered with the Board within one year prior to the applicable registration renewal date are not required to take the four hours of classroom instruction prior to renewing their guard registration;

     (9)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2017; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1264, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1264, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ TAKASHI OHNO Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Chair
____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI Co-Chair