STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3348

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2915

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LIFEGUARD SERVICES AT STATE PARK BEACHES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase water safety at state park beaches, especially those that are most frequented by visitors to the State.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Allocates $5,000,000 of transient accommodations tax revenues to the state parks special fund for the purpose of supporting lifeguard services, including salary and equipment, at state beach parks; and

(2) Appropriates $5,000,000 out of the state parks special fund to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for lifeguard services, including salary and equipment, at state beach parks.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department, County of Maui Fire Department, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure provides necessary support to increase the number of water safety officers at state beach parks, especially at those beach parks that have been identified as high risk for drowning, spinal cord injury, and other ocean-related injuries.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Inserting a section that amends section 184-3.4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to require that transient accommodations tax revenues deposited into the state parks special fund be expended for lifeguard services, including salary and equipment costs, at state beach parks; and

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair