STAND. COM. REP. NO. 442

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1506

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1506 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a statute of repose for professional land surveyors by prohibiting the commencement of a civil action if ten years has elapsed since the latter of the completion of a contract or final payment for land surveying work.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from twelve individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Board of Professional Engineers, Architects, Surveyors, and Landscape Architects.

Your Committee finds that presently the State's land surveyors and surveying firms must retain records of their surveys in the event that a claim arises from an alleged error or omission, whether valid or not. In many cases, these records are from surveys conducted long ago, often by surveyors who have either passed away or are no longer with the surveying company and cannot serve as witnesses to the quality of their own work. This measure will reduce unnecessary burdens and costs on surveyors and their clients.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Extending the statute of repose established in this measure to the property owner;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1506, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1506, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair