STAND. COM. REP. NO.  588

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 31

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on International Affairs and Economic Development & Business Concerns, to which was referred H.B. No. 31 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROCUREMENT,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the binding of the State to government procurement rules contained in an international trade agreement without approval through legislative action.

 

Public Citizen and the Hawaii Government Employees Association testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism offered comments.

 

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Removing the provision that declares invalid any consent that a state official, including the Governor, has given for the State to be bound by the government procurement rules of any international trade agreement on or before the effective date of this bill;

 

(2)  Requiring an impact study to be prepared before the cancellation of any procurement contract; and

 

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on International Affairs and Economic Development & Business Concerns that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 31, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 31, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on International Affairs and Economic Development & Business Concerns,

 

 

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair

 

____________________________

RIDA T.R. CABANILLA, Chair