STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1158

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 318

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 318, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOG,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to study the impact and address the effect of vog on Hawaii's people by establishing the County of Hawaii Interagency Task Force on Vog and requiring the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the presence of vog in the atmosphere detrimentally affects health, particularly in school children; agriculture, including farm and ranch animals; public infrastructure; and the visitor industry.  This measure will enable the State to review the impact of vog and recommend strategies to improve the quality of life in Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language that places the task force in the civil defense agency of Hawaii County and replacing it with language that places the task force in "the civil defense agency of a county with an active volcano from which vog emanates" to ensure that the provision meets the requirement that legislative enactments be of statewide concern;

     (2)  Adding the Director of Health as a member of the task force;

     (3)  Specifying which district health officer shall be a member of the task force;

     (4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2011; and

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 318, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 318, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair