STAND. COM. REP. NO. 977-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2430

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2430, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt feminine hygiene products from the general excise tax and provide funding to the Department of Education to make feminine hygiene products available to students for free on public secondary school campuses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Pono Hawaii Initiative, Breastfeeding Hawaii, AAUW of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Hawaii Public Health Institute, I Support The Girls Hawaii, and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education, Department of Taxation, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the general excise tax exemption;

(2) Removing the general fund appropriation but requiring the Department of Education to provide feminine hygiene products to students for free on all secondary school campuses; and

(3) 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 Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2430, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2430, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair