CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 35-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2783

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2783, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

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 align the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's prohibition on smoking law with the smoke-free policy of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Specifically, this measure increases, from twenty to twenty-five feet:

(1) The smoke-free zone around certain areas and buildings, including administrative office buildings, of any public housing project, elder or elderly housing, or state low-income housing project; and

(2) The minimum setback for designated smoking areas.

Your Committee on Conference finds that secondhand smoke contains more than seven thousand chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic, and approximately seventy of which can cause cancer, and that exposure to thirdhand smoke, which is residual nicotine and other chemicals left on indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke, may also pose health threats, especially to infants and young children who may mouth and touch affected objects and surfaces. Your Committee on Conference finds that, accordingly, HUD instituted its final rule, effective February 3, 2017, requiring public housing agencies to implement a smoke-free policy by July 30, 2018, that establishes a twenty-five foot smoke-free radius around public housing units and administrative office buildings. Your Committee on Conference finds that this measure may help protect residents of public housing and others in the vicinity of public housing administrative buildings from secondhand and thirdhand smoke and will bring Hawaii statutes into conformity with HUD's smoke-free policy.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by making it effective upon approval.

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 S.B. No. 2783, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2783, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ TOM BROWER Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Chair
____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Co-Chair	____________________________ WILL ESPERO Co-Chair