CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 126-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 1318

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1318, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESS REGISTRATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the authority of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) to adjust business registration fees and other nontax revenues to align revenue collections with expenditures;

(2) Reduce business registration fees charged by DCCA; and

(3) Require DCCA to establish and staff five-member advisory committees to serve as consultants to the Department's boards and commissions.

Your Committee on Conference finds that Section 60 of Act 200, Session Laws of Hawaii 2003, directed DCCA to analyze and report on its methods to align expenditures with special fund revenues. In December of 2003, DCCA submitted a report to the Legislature that outlined its proposal to reduce its surplus revenues, which included the reduction of fees for business registration filings. DCCA has also represented that it can decrease its current fee schedules without sacrificing its ability to provide effective and efficient service to the public. This measure effects that reduction of fees.

Additionally, this measure extends the authority to adjust fees and nontax revenues to all fees and nontax revenues administered by DCCA. Your Committee on Conference further finds that this measure will enable the Department to respond in a timely fashion to changing economic conditions and consumer demands and to keep revenue collections relatively aligned with expenditures.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure:

(1) By deleting the provisions relating to the creation of five-member advisory committees to serve as consultants to the Department's boards and commissions, based on concerns expressed by the Attorney General that these amendments exceed the scope of the measure's title; and

(2) To take effect on July 1, 2004.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1318, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1318, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________

KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Co-Chair

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Co-Chair

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Co-Chair