STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1472

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1382

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROCUREMENT,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to assist small businesses in the procurement process.

 

     More specifically, the measure:

 

     (1)  Establishes a three-year small business assistance initiative within the State Procurement Office to facilitate the collection and development of relevant data and information and convene stakeholders for the development of an effective small business program, including the development of rules;

 

     (2)  Establishes, as part of the small business assistance initiative:

 

          (A)  A small business advisory group, which is responsible for meeting regularly and making relevant recommendations;

 

          (B)  The position of small business procurement coordinator within the State Procurement Office; and

 

          (C)  A small business office within the State Procurement Office; and

 

     (3)  Appropriates unspecified sums from the general revenues of State to assist small business.

 

     The State Procurement Office; Small Business Regulatory Review Board; Office of Veterans' Services, Department of Defense; and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii submitted comments in support of the measure.  The American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii submitted comments on the measure.

 

Your Committees find that small businesses are the lifeblood of the State's economy.  Your Committees believe that the State's economy would benefit from the creation, development, and implementation of strategies to ensure that small businesses, including businesses owned by veterans, native Hawaiians, and women, are able to effectively participate in small business contracting opportunities.  Your Committees also find that the State Procurement Office is able to assist small businesses in obtaining state contracts, a process that may be facilitated by the creation of the small business assistance initiative established by this measure.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Amending its findings and purpose section to conform the citation style to the Hawaii Administrative Rules to recommended drafting conventions and to clarify that multiple relevant rules went into effect in 2007;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the small business advisory group shall consist of members from agencies, entities and businesses;

 

     (3)  Clarifying how and when the small business advisory group shall submit its recommendations;

 

     (4)  Correcting a reference to section 103D-906, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1382, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor,

 

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair