STAND. COM. REP. NO.574

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 126

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development to which was referred S.B. No. 126 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this short form measure is to amend the Hawaii Revised Statutes relating to economic development.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting provisions that:

(1) Expand the scope of the State Ombudsman's jurisdiction and investigative authority to include pursuing complaints by small businesses against government agencies;

(2) Impose a penalty of $1,000 per day against agencies that do not take any appropriate action compliant with the opinion and recommendations of the State Ombudsman; and

(3) Require the State Ombudsman to report annually on the number and nature of small business complaints received and the disposition of each complaint.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 126 as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 126, S.D. 1, and be recommitted to the Committees on Economic Development and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, for further consideration.

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

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair