CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 64-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2297

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

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. 2297, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS,"

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 extend the sunset date of Act 65, Session Laws of Hawaii 2013 (Act 65), which provides a limited exemption to the licensing requirements for certain individuals in situations when an electric utility must retain qualified individuals to work with high voltage (six hundred volts or higher) who are not licensed in the State but are otherwise deemed qualified by the electric utility.

Your Committee on Conference finds that in the event of a catastrophic occurrence requiring electrical workers who possess the level of skill required for high voltage work, Hawaii must import workers from the mainland since there are not enough electricians, splicers, and linemen in the State who are experienced and qualified to work with high voltage and who could respond in the event of a catastrophic occurrence or complex maintenance work affecting an electric utility. Your Committee on Conference further finds that Act 65 provides a limited exemption to the licensing requirements for certain individuals in situations when an electric utility must retain qualified individuals to work with high voltage (six hundred volts or higher) who are not licensed in the State but are otherwise deemed qualified by the electric utility; however, Act 65 sunsets on June 30, 2018. This measure extends the sunset date of Act 65 for five years, to June 30, 2023.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing its contents with the contents of H.B. 1880, H.D. 3, S.D. 2, Regular Session of 2018, which was previously passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and which is substantially similar, except for the addition of language that requires the Board of Electricians and Plumbers to submit reports to the Legislature regarding high voltage electrical contractors;

(2) Changing the effective date to June 29, 2018; and

(3) 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. 2297, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2297, 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

____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON Co-Chair	____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA Chair
____________________________ TAKASHI OHNO Co-Chair	____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE Co-Chair
____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Co-Chair