STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1431

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1283

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Higher Education and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1283, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOBACCO SETTLEMENT SPECIAL FUND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to support the University of Hawaii (UH) John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) by allowing UH to use its allotment of moneys from the Hawaii Tobacco Settlement Special Fund to pay for JABSOM's operating expenses, in addition to paying for debt service.

UH testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Health, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, and American Heart Association of Hawaii opposed this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2035, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1283, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1283, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Health,

____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair

____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Chair