CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 9

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    S.B. No. 139

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       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. 139, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CIGARETTE TAX,"

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 bill is to clarify that the cigarette tax moneys collected and earmarked, pursuant to section 245-15, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to fund the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, emergency medical services, trauma care, and community health centers shall be calculated on a per cigarette basis.  This bill further ensures that moneys are earmarked for each special fund through 2011 and beyond.

     Your Committee on Conference amended this bill by changing the tax collection date for moneys earmarked for the Hawaii Cancer Research Special Fund from prior to September 29, 2006, to prior to October 1, 2007.  Your Committee finds that prior to October 1, 2007, completes a fiscal quarter and will avoid administrative problems for the Department Of Taxation.

     Your Committee on Conference further amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of 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. 139, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 139, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Co‑Chair	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair
____________________________ JOHN MIZUNO, Co-Chair	____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair
	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair