STAND. COM. REP. NO.  530

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 793

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 793 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to improve the regulation of notaries public by authorizing the Attorney General to:

 

(1)  Adjust the fee to become a notary public or to renew a notary commission; and

 

(2)  Establish and adjust other fees related to the regulation of notaries public.

 

     This measure also requires the notary's commission number to appear on the notary public's seal or stamp.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committee finds that the measure authorizes the Attorney General to establish and adjust notary public fees through the administrative rulemaking process.  This will permit the Attorney General to meet the rising cost of administering the notary public program.  Your Committee also finds that requiring notaries public to include their notary commission number on their notary public stamp will enable the notary public commission to quickly ascertain the identity of the notary and deter the fraudulent use of notary stamps or seals.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 793 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair