STAND. COM. REP. NO. 689

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 395

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 395 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REAL PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require a seller or its agent in a residential real property transaction to disclose that the United States Postal Service cannot deliver mail or packages to the residential real property being offered for sale.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS.

Your Committee finds that the ability to receive and send mail from one's home is of considerable importance to a homeowner. Today, many residents obtain critical items using mail services, such as medication, or make online purchases for goods that are not readily accessible on every island of the State. However, your Committee finds that not all properties have a mailbox on the premises that is serviceable by the United States Postal Service, especially in rural areas. Therefore, this measure establishes that the inability of the United States Postal Service to deliver mail or packages is a material fact that shall be disclosed in a residential real property transaction.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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. 395, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 395, 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,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair