STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1747

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 14

 

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.R. No. 14 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF CIGARETTE FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS ESTABLISHED IN OTHER STATES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of the Attorney General to study the impact of cigarette fire safety standards established in other states and Canada.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Chair of the State Fire Council (SFC), Fire Chief of the Kaua‘i Fire Department (KFD), and the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawai‘i.  The Attorney General opposed the measure citing that the Department of the Attorney General lacks the expertise and resources necessary to conduct the study. 

 

     Testifiers in support of this measure requested that the study include fire-safe cigarettes.  Presently, eight states have passed legislation relating to fire-safe cigarettes and twenty-one states have pending legislation including H.B. No. 637.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure requests the Attorney General to consult with the Department of Health, the Department of Taxation and the State Fire Council to determine whether Hawai‘i could benefit from new safety standards and laws both in the United States and Canada.  The expertise which is being sought by this measure from the Department of the Attorney General's is  reviewing laws and as a facilitator.  Your Committee believes that the Department of Attorney General possesses the expertise called for by this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 14 and recommends its adoption.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair