CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO.89-02
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: S.B. No. 2350
S.D. 2
H.D. 2
C.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2350, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX,"
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
The purposes of this measure are to:
(1) Establish a transient accommodations tax (TAT) trust fund as a holding account for TAT revenues to supplement shortfalls in the tourism special fund, provided that any moneys not needed to reach the annual cap of $64,292,000 to the tourism special fund shall be credited to the general fund;
(2) Cap TAT revenues to the tourism special fund at $64,292,000, and allocate up to $2,000,000 of any revenues in excess of $62,292,000 for natural resources, with ninety per cent to the state parks special fund and ten per cent to the Hawaii statewide trail and access program; and
(3) Change the allocation of TAT revenues to the tourism special fund from 37.9 per cent to 32.6 per cent and allocate 5.3 per cent of the TAT to the transient accommodations trust fund.
Your Committee on Conference finds that this measure will provide additional funding for Hawaii's parks and trails, which are used by visitors and residents alike, while continuing to provide a secure source of funds for tourism promotion and visitor industry research.
Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure to:
(1) Cap the TAT revenues to the tourism special fund at $63,292,000;
(2) Reduce the maximum allocation to state parks and trails to $1,000,000;
(3) Require the Hawaii tourism authority to spend $1,000,000 in the tourism special fund to support efforts to manage, improve, and protect Hawaii's natural environment and areas frequented by visitors; and
(4) Make technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2350, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2350, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
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____________________________ JERRY CHANG, Co-Chair |
____________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair |
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____________________________ NATHAN SUZUKI, Co-Chair |
____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair |
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