CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 111

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    S.B. No. 1026

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 3

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam and 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. 1026, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOLID WASTE,"

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 protect the environment through recycling by allowing sixty-eight-fluid-ounce beverage bottles to be recycled under Hawaii's Deposit Beverage Container Program. 

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Increases the volume limit of deposit beverage containers from sixty-four to sixty-eight fluid ounces;

     (2)  Requires distributors to report container numbers sold and make fee payments on that basis;

(3)  Permits calculation of redemption value of refund for previously processed and baled containers; and

(4)  Phases in redemption of sixty-eight ounce containers.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Expanding and clarifying the purpose section to allow the Director of Health some discretion in temporarily suspending the deposit beverage container handling fee if it is determined that the deposit beverage container deposit special fund contains sufficient funds;

     (2)  Removing the provision allowing consumers to request that the refund value be computed by container count only if the consumers is redeeming not more than fifty containers of each material type per visit;

     (3)  Removing language requiring the use of steel or bi-metal cans or unique containers;

     (4)  Changing the effective date of the measure to July 1, 2007; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 1026, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1026, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ HERMINA MORITA, Co-Chair	____________________________ RON MENOR, Chair
____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair
____________________________ PONO CHONG, Co-Chair