CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 118

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2017

RE:    H.B. No. 471

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 471, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMERGENCY AND BUDGET RESERVE FUND,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to promote the judicious use of moneys in the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund (Fund) by prohibiting the Legislature from appropriating from the Fund:

     (1)  More than 50 percent of the balance of the Fund in a single fiscal year;

     (2)  To expend for discretionary costs in a fiscal year, an amount that exceeds 10 percent of the total discretionary funds appropriated by the Legislature for the same fiscal year; and

     (3)  For a succeeding fiscal year, unless the current fiscal year's tax collection is less than the collection for the previous fiscal year. 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Including other costs, as determined by the Legislature, in the definition of "non-discretionary funds"; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 471, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 471, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA Chair

____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE Chair