STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1428-22
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2022
RE: S.B. No. 2644
S.D. 2
H.D. 2
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2022
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2644, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Extend until June 30, 2033, the limited exemption from licensing requirements for qualified electricians that was originally enacted by Act 65, Session Laws of Hawaii 2013, and extended pursuant to Act 60, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018; and
(2) Make permanent the requirement for the Board of Electricians and Plumbers to submit reports to the Legislature relating to high voltage electrical work.
Your Committee finds
that the electrical infrastructure of the State is aging. The construction and maintenance of the
State's electrical infrastructure require specialized high voltage workers. Your Committee notes that there continues to
be debate about whether there is a shortage of electricians, splicers, and
linemen in the State who are experienced and qualified to work with high
voltage (six hundred volts or higher) and who can perform certain complex
maintenance and repair work affecting an electric utility.
Your Committee also
finds that high voltage electric utility workers are in high demand throughout
the country and there may be times when it is necessary for an electric utility
to contract and retain qualified personnel from other jurisdictions in the
United States to perform high voltage work.
To address this ongoing situation, this measure extends the limited
exemption to the licensing requirements for certain individuals qualified to
perform high voltage utility work. However,
your Committee notes the concerns raised in testimony that this measure may be
overly broad. Amendments to this measure
are therefore necessary to limit the scope and applicability of the exemption.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting substation work as a category of work for which high voltage electrical workers are eligible for the exemption;
(2) Extending the sunset date for the exemption to June 30, 2028, rather than June 30, 2033; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2644, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2644, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,
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____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair |
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