STAND. COM. REP. NO.  45

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 166

      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 Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 166 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII RESEARCH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide the University of Hawaii with express statutory authority to create, promote, and participate in new economic enterprises and expand workforce opportunities through the commercialization of inventions and discoveries generated by or at the university.

The University of Hawaii, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and Hawaii Business Roundtable Incorporated supported this bill.  Common Cause Hawaii opposed this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance, Office of Information Practices, State Procurement Office, Hawaii State Ethics Commission, and The Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest submitted comments.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the provision that requires state laws, including the state ethics code, to be applied and construed in a manner that recognizes the public benefit created and state interests advanced by the Innovation and Commercialization Initiative Program established by this measure;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2038; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 166, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 166, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair