STAND. COM. REP. NO. 493

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 758

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 758 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to extend the use of Hawaii Compliance Express for small business vendors, affording them the same savings of time and money in the contracting process.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Procurement Office, The Hawaii Business League, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii Compliance Express has worked very well for those vendors required to use this system, expediting the award process for the vendor and for the government entity awarding the contract.  The State Procurement Office has testified, however, that requiring Hawaii Compliance Express for government entities doing business with small businesses – and for very small amounts – may result in delays to acquire these goods or services until the compliance requirement is verified.  As a result, government entities may prefer purchasing from larger companies that consistently utilize Hawaii Compliance Express, to the detriment of Hawaii's small businesses.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure to clarify that it shall apply to awards of $2,500 or greater for procurements made through the small purchases provisions of chapter 103D-305, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 758, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 758, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Technology,

 

 

 

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair