Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3063, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish within the Department of Land and Natural Resources a program to benefit the environment.

In particular, this measure allows the Department to develop environmentally-themed products, such as collectible stamps, credit cards, and coins, to be commercially sold to the public. Each product developed under the program must have the approval of the Chairperson and the Governor, after consultation with appropriate environmental organizations.

In addition, except for direct costs to administer, produce, and market the products, this measure requires all revenues from the sale of these products to be paid into the natural area reserve fund. The bill also requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Legislature regarding the program's products, costs, and revenues.

Your Committee finds that this measure reaffirms the State's commitment to the protection of Hawaii's environment by creating long-term supplemental funding sources generated from the voluntary purchase and use of collectible stamps, credit cards, and other programs.

Your Committee further finds that the natural physical environment of Hawaii is of significant value to the residents of this State, and that creation of a permanent, independent source of funding to support the environment is worthy of state support. Your Committee finds that other states have utilized license plate sales, collectible stamps, and credit cards with great success as a way to raise money to protect the environment.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by allowing the Department to enter into contracts with manufacturers of existing and new environmentally-themed products as it deems appropriate.

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. 3063, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3063, S.D. 2.