STAND. COM. REP. NO.  437

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1518

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1518 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DESIGN PROFESSIONALS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to protect design professionals from frivolous lawsuits by establishing certificate of merit requirements.

 

     ECS, Inc.; Masa Fujioka & Associates; Fukunaga & Associates, Inc.; the American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii; Gray, Hong, Nojima and Associates, Inc.; Coalition of Hawaii Engineering & Architectural Professionals; KAI Hawaii Inc.; and Sam O. Hirota, Inc., testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Accounting and General Services and Consumer Lawyers of Hawaii opposed this measure.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1518 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair