STAND. COM. REP. NO. 800

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1947

       S.D. 1

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. 1947 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPOSIT BEVERAGE CONTAINER PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation of $10,000,000 out of the deposit beverage container deposit special fund for continued operation of the deposit beverage container program.

     Your Committee finds that this measure provides sufficient moneys to meet the increased expenses of the deposit beverage container program by making an emergency appropriation.  The Committee finds that expenses will exceed the appropriation ceiling because the number of deposit beverage containers sold will far exceed the estimates of two years ago.  Increased container numbers, plus the current redemption rate of about sixty-eight per cent, have resulted in more deposits to refund and more redemption center handling fees.  Refunds and handling fees may exceed the $52,000,000 spending ceiling of the deposit beverage container deposit special fund.  There are sufficient moneys in the deposit beverage container deposit special fund to support the proposed appropriation increase.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

     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. 1947, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1947, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair