STAND. COM. REP. NO.402

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 774

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 774 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SMOKING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ban smoking in state or county owned or controlled airports.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Health (DOH), American Heart Association, and Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii.

Your Committee considers this measure to be in the interests of public health. Smoking is very common in airports, but current law does not specify airports as public nonsmoking areas. Your Committee notes the testimony of the DOH that involuntary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a legitimate public health risk that should be cause for concern as the Environmental Protection Agency has classified ETS as a carcinogen. This measure assures travelers of tobacco free air at airports, similar to smoking bans on airplanes and for the same reason.

Your Committee has amended this measure by prohibiting public moneys from being used to construct segregated areas, preferring that private moneys be used. Your Committee has also made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for proper drafting.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 774, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 774, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations,

____________________________

CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair