STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1386

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.C.R. No. 113

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 113 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A PROGRAMMATIC AND FINANCIAL AUDIT OF THE HAWAII TOBACCO SETTLEMENT SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a programmatic and financial audit of the Hawaii Tobacco Settlement Special Fund.

The Department of Health submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Tobacco Settlement Special Fund was established in 1999 and a sufficient period of time has elapsed for it to be appropriate to examine issues such as:

(1) How, and how effectively and efficiently, the tobacco settlement moneys have been spent;

(2) How effective the programs funded by the settlement moneys have been;

(3) How effectively and efficiently the settlement moneys have been invested; and

(4) Other relevant programmatic and fiscal issues.

This measure requests the Auditor to conduct an audit to examine these and other relevant issues. The results of the audit will assist the Legislature in considering the possibility of the restructuring and reallocation of funds to other areas to support healthy lifestyles and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 113 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

		____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair