STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1738

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 908

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 908, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide additional resources to the Small Business Regulatory Review Board (Review Board).

The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Maui Chamber of Commerce, The Hawaii Business League, Ocean Tourism Coalition, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, and one individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism provided comments.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the substantive provisions of H.B. No. 1042, H.D. 1, which increases the effectiveness and clarity of the Review Board by:

(1)  Providing a more explicit definition of "small business";

(2)  Clarifying the powers of the Review Board when reviewing administrative rules that impact small business;

(3)  Increasing the membership of the Review Board to eleven from nine members; and

     (4)  Clarifying when agencies are required to report to the Review Board and when the Review Board is required to submit reports to the Legislature.

     Your Committee has further amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 908, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 908, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair