STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2504

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2301

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2301 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREWORKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require shippers to notify the fire chief as to where fireworks shipments imported into the State or between counties are to be distributed;

     (2)  Define the term "redistribution" to clarify shipment notification requirements; and

     (3)  Clarify that labels on certain fireworks shall be at least nine square inches.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Fire Council; Honolulu Fire Department; Kauai Fire Department; and County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety.

     Your Committee finds that transporting fireworks to, from, and within the State requires the use of multiple methods of interstate and intrastate transportation.  To ensure the health and safety of the community and the State's first responders, the importation of fireworks shipments must be thoroughly accounted for and reported.  However, under the existing law, there are no notification requirements for those transporting fireworks.  This measure is therefore necessary to clarify shippers' responsibilities and notification requirements.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2301 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair