STAND. COM. REP. NO. 212

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 100

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 Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 100 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTOXICATING LIQUOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide that leaders of nonprofit organizations shall be exempt from county liquor commission criminal history check requirements for license applicants.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that criminal history record information is often considered when running employment background checks, obtaining certifications, and granting licenses, including liquor licenses. According to testimony received by your Committee, existing law requires any proposed board member for a nonprofit organization that has a liquor license to submit themselves to a criminal history record check and be fingerprinted at a designated location for the nonprofit to retain its liquor license. As a result, highly qualified and potential officers, directors, or board members have withdrawn themselves from consideration to serve due to these and other invasive and onerous requirements. Your Committee further finds that an individual's criminal history record information may not relate to their ability to serve as a viable board member. This measure facilitates public service and encourages qualified individuals to contribute back to the community by exempting officers, directors, and board members of nonprofit organizations, who are not designated as the primary decision-makers regarding the sale or purchase of liquor, from criminal history record check requirements.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 100, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 100, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs,

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair