STAND. COM. REP. NO.180-02
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: H.B. No. 1890
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1890 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOBACCO SALES TO MINORS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to discourage tobacco sales to minors by:
(1) Imposing fines upon the business where the tobacco was sold;
(2) Specifying that the fine is for entities who negligently violate the law;
(3) Clarifying that the $500 fine for the first offense is a mandatory minimum fine; and
(4) Increasing the fines imposed on minors who purchase tobacco.
The Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City & County of Honolulu, Honolulu Police Department, and the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii testified in support of this measure. Legislative Information Services of Hawaii opposed this measure as introduced.
Your Committee finds that although tobacco sales to minors have decreased in recent years, the rate of sales to minors is still high. DOH has been conducting regular random inspections of retailers, and it is the intent of your Committee to further strengthen the law to further reduce illegal tobacco sales to minors.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Leaving the fines to minors who illegally purchased tobacco products as they were originally, $10 for the first offense, and $50 for subsequent offenses;
(2) Specifying that the fines collected be deposited into the Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1890, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1890, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |
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