STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2712

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2990
                                        S.D. 2




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 2990, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE RECYCLING OF BATTERIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage proper disposal of
lead batteries by imposing, at the point of sale, a surcharge
waivable only by presenting for disposal an old battery for each
new battery purchased.

     Your Committee finds that existing law has proven
insufficient to prevent lead batteries from being discarded in
public places.  Your Committee further finds that imposing a $10
surcharge on the purchase of a new battery, unless an old one is
presented for disposal, is necessary to encourage the proper
disposal of lead batteries.

     Your Committee has amended the bill to:

     (1)  Clarify that the waiver of the surcharge applies to a
          one-for-one exchange of an old battery for a new one;

     (2)  Allow a refund of the surcharge if an old battery is
          turned in within ten days of the purchase; and


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2712
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     (3)  Provide that all surcharges shall be deposited into the
          environmental management special fund instead of the
          general fund.

     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.
2990, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2990, S.D.
2.

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



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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