HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	230
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF USING PROCEEDS FROM THE CIGARETTE TAX FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CENTER FOR CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH.

     WHEREAS, the condition of a person's heart is detrimentally affected by smoking which is a behavior that, if halted, can bring about substantial health benefits; and

     WHEREAS, the toxicity of the smoke inhaled by a smoker can cause severe harm to a person's blood, heart, and blood vessels that form the cardiovascular system; and

     WHEREAS, native Hawaiians and others of Polynesian ancestry are particularly susceptible to atherosclerosis, the build up of a waxy plaque on the inside of blood vessels; and

     WHEREAS, the Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCR) at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) is specifically devoted to studying and understanding causes, prevention, and treatment of heart disease; and

     WHEREAS, CCR has been notably successful in attracting federal funding and is looking to expand its role in training investigators and developing new treatments for heart disease; and

     WHEREAS, CCR is also serving as a valuable incubator for new technologies and for training biomedical workers, both of which can contribute to the development of a lucrative biotechnology industry in Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, despite the success of CCR so far, additional funding is necessary to develop its potential as a world-class venue for the advancement of life-saving procedures and new technologies; and

     WHEREAS, since most of the University of Hawaii System (UH) is facing a time of shrinking economic resources, it would be prudent to establish a dedicated source of funding for CCR independent of the UH budget allocations; and

     WHEREAS, there is a clear nexus between smoking, a leading cause of heart disease, and the work of CCR which aims to address heart disease; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that JABSOM, in conjunction with the Department of Taxation (DOTAX), is requested to study the feasibility of increasing the tax on cigarettes for the benefit of CCR without impacting the current cigarette tax distributions to the general fund; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include determining:

     (1)  The expected level of annual revenue as a result of the tax increase; and

     (2)  The expected ability to use the additional revenue to leverage additional federal grant moneys;

and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that JABSOM and DOTAX are requested to jointly submit a report of their findings to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Chairperson of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, and Director of Taxation.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title: 

Cigarette Tax for the Center for Cardiovascular Research.