STAND. COM. REP. NO. 175

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 437

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 437 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTOXICATING LIQUOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the liquor commissions to conduct alcohol abuse treatment and prevention activities and include license fees as a funding mechanism for the treatment and activities.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the County Council, County of Maui; the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; and two individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Honolulu Liquor Commission and the Hawaii Food Industry Association.

     Your Committee finds that the prevention of alcohol abuse is a critically important public need and that effective programs to address alcohol abuse require adequate funding; therefore, it is appropriate to allocate revenues generated from liquor license fees to programs designed to prevent and treat alcohol abuse.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 437, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 437, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair