STAND. COM. REP. NO. 471

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 831

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 831 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREWORKS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to limit the use of consumer fireworks.

     Specifically, this measure prohibits the use of consumer fireworks on the Fourth of July.

     Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Legislative Information Services of Hawaii. 

     Your Committees find that the widespread use of consumer fireworks in densely populated areas pose several health and safety risks.  These risks include fire hazards, respiratory health hazards, and the danger of physical injuries.

     Your Committees find that the Fourth of July is an especially dangerous holiday, as it is the one day on which many people celebrate with consumer fireworks.

     This measure was amended to limit the application of the prohibition to counties with a population of 500,000, or more.  Technical, nonsubstantive changes were also made for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 831, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 831, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair