Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2153 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to reinstate the original allocation of the tobacco settlement fund of twenty-five percent to the Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund, and reduce the University of Hawaii's allocation from the fund.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from American Health Association, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, and an individual. Testimony in opposition was received from the University of Hawaii. Comments were received from the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death, yet Hawaii is only spending between $3-$4 million a year on comprehensive tobacco control, far less than the Centers for Disease Control best practices guideline of between $10.4 and $23.4 million per year.

Your Committees further find that while the University of Hawaii Medical School is very significant to the people and future of our State, the school is also encouraged to explore additional financing mechanisms based on other funding sources.

Your Committees have amended this measure by deleting its contents and replacing it with language to require the University of Hawaii to repay, over time, the moneys it received from the Hawaii Tobacco Settlement Special Fund.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2153, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2153, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.