STAND. COM. REP. NO.1397

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1169

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 1169, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PARKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to link the cost of maintaining the state park system and its use by visitors by authorizing that proceeds collected from the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) and legislative appropriations be earmarked to the State Parks Special Fund (Fund).

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Trust for Public Land, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, Life of the Land, and a concerned citizen testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Tourism Authority supported the intent of this measure.

The Hawaii Hotel Association opposed the measure. The University of Hawaii Environmental Center Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii submitted comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the provision that allows proceeds from TAT to go to the Fund;

(2) Including the transfer of $4,000,000 from the Tourism Special Fund to the Fund for fiscal years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003;

(3) Making an appropriation of $4,000,000 out of the Fund for fiscal years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity 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 S.B. No. 1169, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1169, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair