STAND. COM. REP. NO.3031

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2429

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2429, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOBACCO,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received by your Committees, is to ensure compliance with and enforcement of the cigarette tax stamp laws by making the tax stamp law permanent and expanding the enforcement authority of the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Taxation.

Your Committees developed and heard a proposed S.D. 1, that included the following provisions:

(1) Seeking compliance with the terms of the tobacco settlement statutes through payment into the escrow fund by any manufacturer of tobacco products, whether or not they were parties to the settlement agreement;

(2) Imposing more stringent state laws on smoking in restaurants, bars, and county and state controlled athletic facilities; and

(3) Banning sales of cigarettes from vending machines.

Testimony was submitted on the proposed S.D. 1 by the Department of the Attorney General, the Department of Health, the Department of Taxation, the Hawai'i Nurses' Association, American Cancer Society, Hawai'i Restaurant Association, Coalition for Tobacco Free Hawai'i, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of medicine, two physicians, and a private citizen. The testimony supported the intent of the S.D. 1, but most testifiers preferred the H.D. 1 version of this measure.

Your Committees find that efforts to enforce the cigarette tax stamp laws will be greatly supported by making the law permanent and allowing the various enforcement agencies wider authority to inspect the operations and premises of entities involved in cigarette sales. Your Committees, after consideration of the testimony presented on the S.D. 1 agree to support the H.D. 1 version of this measure without additional amendments.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2429, H.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Judiciary,

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair