STAND. COM. REP. NO.825

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 1256

H.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1256, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to institute a beverage container fee and deposit on all glass, aluminum, and plastic bottles or cans of a gallon or less containing beverages sold for consumption in the state.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health, the Office of Environmental Quality Control, the Environmental Council, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services, the Recycling Coordinator of the County of Maui Solid Waste Division, The League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, Life of the Land, The Estate of James Campbell, and several individuals.

Opposing this bill were Anheuser Busch Companies, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Hawaii, Times Super Market, Ltd., Hawaii Wholesale Liquor Dealers, Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Wine Institute, Grocery Manufacturers of America, Pacific Allied Products, Ltd., Pepsi Bottling Group, and two individuals.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa Environmental Center, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, the Container Recycling Institute, and an individual offered comments.

Although your Committee recognizes the strong interest in reducing Hawaii's waste stream and increasing recycling, it is concerned about the impact this bill might have on consumers. As the various parties involved are still discussing how best to address these issues, your Committee finds it appropriate to pass this bill to facilitate further discussion.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting all amounts for fees and deposits; and

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

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. 1256, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1256, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair