Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

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. 1305, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

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 purpose of this measure is to allocate moneys from the Tobacco Settlement Special Fund to the general fund.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by replacing its contents with provisions that appropriate funds from the emergency and budget reserve fund for various health and human services and programs and from the general revenues to implement the Hawaii Rx Program.

Your Committee on Conference finds that State revenues will not cover expenditures for programs essential to the public health, safety, and welfare. As a direct result of the state budgetary shortfall, the State would need to eliminate or severely cut necessary programs, services, and projects provided by hospitals, health centers, and other health and human services agencies throughout the State, especially in rural areas. This reduction in health and human services would occur abruptly and immediately jeopardize the public health, safety, and welfare. Therefore, your Committee on Conference finds that the grants, subsidies, and appropriations provided in this measure, as amended, are in the public interest and serve the public health, safety, and welfare.

With respect to the appropriation for Kalihi area youth service centers, the Office of Youth Services is encouraged to utilize the resources of professional providers, including the Susannah Wesley Center.

In addition, your Committee on Conference notes that the grants, subsidies, and appropriations made in this measure, as amended, were publicly heard by the appropriate standing committees of the Senate and House of Representatives through various measures, including H.B. 512, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, H.B. 688, S.D. 2, S.B. 870, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, H.B. 1342, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and H.B. 1430, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

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. 1305, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1305, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.