Report Title:

General Excise Tax; Reduction; Exemption; Rural Health Professional Shortage Areas

Description:

Phases out the general excise tax by 2013 on services rendered by health care providers in rural areas federally designated as having a shortage of health professional services. Sunsets on January 1, 2020.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1989

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to taxation.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 237, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§237- Reduction; health care providers; health professional shortage areas. (a) For every eligible health care provider, the tax imposed under this chapter on that portion of gross income received for health care services rendered in any rural area that is a health professional shortage area, as defined under Title 42, Section 254e of the United States Code, shall be as follows:

(1) Beginning January 1, 2007, three per cent;

(2) Beginning January 1, 2009, two per cent; and

(3) Beginning January 1, 2011, one per cent.

(b) For purposes of this section, "eligible health care provider" means any health care provider who renders health care services primarily in any rural area that is a health professional shortage area, as defined under Title 42, Section 254e of the United States Code."

SECTION 2. Section 237-23, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) This chapter shall not apply to the following persons:

(1) Public service companies (as that term is defined in section 239-2), with respect to the gross income, either actual gross income or gross income estimated and adjusted, which is included in the measure of the tax imposed by chapter 239;

(2) Public utilities owned and operated by the State or any county or other political subdivision thereof;

(3) Fraternal benefit societies, orders, or associations, operating under the lodge system, or for the exclusive benefit of the members of the fraternity itself, operating under the lodge system, and providing for the payment of death, sick, accident, prepaid legal services, or other benefits to the members of such societies, orders, or associations, and to their dependents;

(4) Corporations, associations, trusts, or societies organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, or educational purposes, as well as that of operating senior citizens housing facilities qualifying for a loan under the laws of the United States as authorized by section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959, as amended, as well as that of operating a prepaid legal services plan, as well as that of operating or managing a homeless facility, or any other program for the homeless authorized under chapter 201G, part IV;

(5) Business leagues, chambers of commerce, boards of trade, civic leagues, agricultural and horticultural organizations, and organizations operated exclusively for the benefit of the community and for the promotion of social welfare which shall include the operation of a prepaid legal service plan, and from which no profit inures to the benefit of any private stockholder or individual;

(6) Hospitals, infirmaries, and sanitaria;

(7) Cooperative associations incorporated under chapter 421 or Code section 521 cooperatives which fully meet the requirements of section 421-23, except Code section 521 cooperatives need not be organized in Hawaii; provided that:

(A) The exemption shall apply only to the gross income derived from activities which are pursuant to purposes and powers authorized by chapter 421, except those provisions pertaining to or requiring corporate organization in Hawaii do not apply to Code section 521 cooperatives;

(B) The exemption shall not relieve any person who receives any proceeds of sale from the association of the duty of returning and paying the tax on the total gross proceeds of the sales on account of which the payment was made, in the same amount and at the same rate as would apply thereto had the sales been made directly by the person, and all such persons shall be so taxable; and

(C) As used in this paragraph, "section 521 cooperatives" mean associations which qualify as a cooperative under section 521 (with respect to exemption of farmers' cooperatives from tax) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

(8) Persons affected with Hansen's disease and kokuas, with respect to business within the county of Kalawao;

(9) Corporations, companies, associations, or trusts organized for the establishment and conduct of cemeteries no part of the net earnings of which inures to the financial benefit of any private stockholder or individual (provided that the exemption shall apply only to the activities of such persons in the conduct of cemeteries and not to any activity the primary purpose of which is to produce income, even though the income is to be used for or in the furtherance of the exempt activities of such persons); [and]

(10) Nonprofit shippers associations operating under part 296 of the Civil Aeronautics Board Economic Regulations[.]; and

(11) Beginning January 1, 2013, any health care provider who renders health care services primarily in any rural area that is a health professional shortage area, as defined under Title 42, Section 254e of the United States Code; provided that the exemption shall apply only to that portion of gross income received for health care services rendered in any such health professional shortage area."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that:

(1) Section 1 of this Act shall be repealed on December 31, 2012; and

(2) On January 1, 2020, this Act shall be repealed and section 237-23(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day before the approval of this Act.

INTRODUCED BY:

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