STAND. COM. REP. NO.  961-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2137

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2137, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to offset the financial burden that organ donors may encounter by providing a one-time tax credit of up to $1,000 to help cover expenses related to organ donation.

     The Hawaii Coalition on Donation, Organ Donor Center of Hawaii, and an individual testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Taxation and Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting the tax credit amounts per taxpayer as well as for all taxpayers;

     (2)  Inserting a defective date of July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion;

     (3)  Imposing an adjustable gross income cap of less than $50,000 per taxpayer or less than $100,000 in the case of a joint return to qualify for this tax credit; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2137, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2137, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair