STAND. COM. REP. NO. 657

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 946

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 946 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY TO ADJUST PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSING FEES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Division) of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs with the flexibility to decrease or increase certain licensing fees.

 

     Specifically, this measure allows the Division, subject to the approval of the Governor, to adjust fees for:

 

     (1)  Athletic trainers, behavior analysts, mixed martial arts, respiratory therapists, uniform athlete agents, and veterinary technicians; and

 

     (2)  Any future board, commission, program, or entity created pursuant to title 25, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and assigned to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs or placed within that department for administrative purposes.

 

     The Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs submitted written comments in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that existing law already provides for increasing or decreasing fees pertaining to the regulation of various professions.  However, the law has not been updated since 2007, and therefore does not include the six new licensed areas specified in the measure.  Your Committee further finds that this measure will allow the Division to timely adjust its fees in a fair and impartial manner.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to June 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 946, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 946, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair