STAND. COM. REP. NO. 771

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1283

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1283, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to support the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine with its operating expenses.

     Specifically, this measure allows the twenty-eight per cent of tobacco settlement funds that are currently appropriated into the University revenue-undertakings fund to be used for the payment of annual operating expenses incurred by the new medical school facility of the University of Hawaii in addition to the payment of debt service.  The effective date of this measure is July 1, 2020.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.  Comments in opposition were offered by the Department of Budget and Finance and Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will materially assist the University of Hawaii School of Medicine to address operating expenses for its new facilities.

     Your Committee has made technical amendments to properly format section 328L‑2(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes, to comply with standard drafting convention.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1283, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1283, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair