STAND. COM. REP. NO. 646

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 20
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred S.B. No. 20 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REAL ESTATE BROKERS AND
     SALESPERSONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the continuing
education requirement for real estate brokers and salespersons
from ten hours every two years to five hours each year, and to
authorize the Real Estate Commission to develop its own courses. 

     The Real Estate Commission (REC) and the Hawaii Association
of Realtors presented testimony supporting the intent of the
measure. 

     Your Committee finds that continuing education for real
estate licensees is necessary to ensure that real estate
salespersons and brokers are apprised of the most recent changes
and developments in the law and the industry.  Currently, the
real estate licensing law requires that a licensee seeking to
renew a current active license complete ten hours of continuing
education at any time during the two year period prior to
renewal.  

     This measure proposes to change the law by requiring that a
licensee complete five hours of continuing education in each year
of the two-year period prior to license renewal.  The measure
also expressly authorizes the REC to set requirements for

 
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continuing education courses, determine whether courses meet the
requirements, assign continuing education credits to courses, and
develop its own continuing education courses.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Codifying the laws relating to principal brokers and
          continuing education providers, instructors, and
          courses;

     (2)  Removing the bifurcation of the ten-hour continuing
          education requirement;  

     (3)  Directing the Hawaii Association of Realtors to convene
          a work study group to discuss continuing education and
          administration issues with the REC, the Department of
          Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and other interested
          parties, and to submit its recommendations for
          legislation to the 2000 Regular Session; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.           

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 20, as amended herein, and recommends that it
pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 20,
S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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