STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2043

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2081

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2081 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LITTER CONTROL,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase the fines for littering and deposit the moneys collected into a special account in the general fund for use by the state or county law enforcement agency that issued the littering citation.

     Testimony in support was submitted by one county agency, and one state agency submitted testimony in opposition.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that littering is a serious problem in Hawaii; it can cause vehicle accidents on roadways, damage plants and natural areas, injure animals who mistake it for food, and drive tourists away from otherwise scenic areas.  Your Committees hope this measure will discourage people from continuing the destructive practice of littering and encourage county and state law enforcement agencies to enforce the law. 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adopting the recommendation of the County of Hawaii Department of Environmental Management to clarify that the moneys collected from a county-issued littering citation shall be deposited into the county's general fund; and

     (2)  Deleting the amendment to raise the minimum fine for littering, in order to provide maximum flexibility to the citation issuing authority.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2081, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2081, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs,

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair