Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 3114 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation from the tourism special fund for the community work day program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Windward Ahupua`a Alliance. Testimony in opposition was received from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association.

The community work day program is part of the national Keep America Beautiful program, which partners with businesses and uses in-kind donations to create successful education and action-oriented programs for island-wide cleanups, roadside beautification programs, and cleanup of polluted water bodies, among other clean environment efforts.

The community work day program was previously administered by the State's litter control office, established by chapter 339, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which existed from 1977 until 1996, when it was administratively closed due to budgetary constraints. The legislature finds that the office provided a critical, necessary, and strategic service to the public in serving as the focal point to plan, coordinate, and implement litter control efforts.

The litter control office was very successful in its efforts to clean up, prevent, and educate the public about litter. Among its accomplishments were: an annual statewide recycling campaign, including a fundraising program for businesses; an annual statewide litter campaign; involvement of volunteers from organizations; a training program for volunteers; resolution of complaints about littered sites and abandoned vehicles; fundraising from organizations and individuals; establishment of partnerships with civic and community groups, school and other youth organizations and businesses; a community work day program; and a shoreline and coastal cleanup.

Your Committee notes the testimony of Windward Ahupua`a Alliance about its recent litter pick-up event that yielded fifty fifty-five gallon bags of litter and trash within a confined area, with much of this being recyclable materials.

Your Committee has amended this measure to provide that the appropriation be made twenty-five percent from the Hawaii Tourism Authority community product enrichment program fund and seventy-five percent from the deposit beverage container deposit special fund. The unsightly nature of litter impacts the tourism industry for purposes of the tourism special fund. The community work day program yields a great amount of recyclable material, which can be considered a recycling education and demonstration project for purposes of the deposit beverage container deposit special fund.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3114, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3114, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.