STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1645

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 196
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and
Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No.
196 entitled: 

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF
     INFORMATION PRACTICES TO COORDINATE A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS
     OF CURRENT PROTECTIONS OF THE PRIVACY OF PERSONAL
     INFORMATION AND TO SUBMIT PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO THE 2000
     LEGISLATIVE SESSION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to lay the
groundwork for the establishment of legal protections for
private, personal information, collected and disseminated by
businesses, which protections will implement the constitutional
right to privacy and are necessary to satisfy requirements for
free exchange of information with the European Union.  This
concurrent resolution requests that the Office of Information
Practices (OIP) study current and proposed privacy protections
and make recommendations for future privacy legislation that will
recognize and address the concerns of consumers, law enforcement
professionals, businesses, and others.

     Your Committees received testimony fully supporting this
concurrent resolution from OIP.  OIP testified that many
businesses today rely heavily on personal information profiles.
As a result, rapidly developing methods increasing the ability to
collect and compile electronically stored personal information
currently outpace the average consumer's ability to track and

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1645
                                 Page 2

 
examine the information for accuracy, and protect their privacy.
OIP testified that a proper balance must be found between the
right of privacy and the needs of businesses, and that a survey
among concerned citizens and interested groups regarding
participation in this undertaking yielded a positive response.

     Testimony stating concerns and comments and requesting
involvement in the task force established by this concurrent
resolution, was submitted by Associated Credit Bureaus, Inc., a
trade association representing credit and mortgage reporting
companies as well as collection and residential and employment
screening companies.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary and
Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your
Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 196
and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce and
                                   Judiciary and Hawaiian
                                   Affairs,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair              RON MENOR, Chair