STAND. COM. REP. NO.3328

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.C.R. No. 148

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 148 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DESIGNATION OF ALL AREAS OF THE STATE CAPITOL AS A SMOKE-FREE WORKPLACE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Governor to designate the State Capitol building as a smoke-free workplace.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Maui County Council, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, University Health Services-Manoa Health Education Center, the American Cancer Society, and an emergency room physician. The State Comptroller submitted testimony expressing concerns about the measure being more stringent than existing laws. The Department of Health agreed with testifiers regarding the need for enforcement of state smoking laws and regulations within the State Capitol.

Your Committee finds that smoking in the workplace has been an issue that has been addressed by the state government through state laws that affect both the public and private sector. Your Committee further finds that the regulation of smoking within the State Capitol building should be addressed within the parameters of existing law and in consultation with legislative leadership, since many legislative offices are located within the State Capitol.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the TITLE to read "URGING THE DESIGNATION OF NON-SMOKING AND SMOKING AREAS WITHIN THE STATE CAPITOL.";

(2) Changing the BE IT RESOLVED clause to request that the Governor, legislative leadership, and the Comptroller designate non-smoking and smoking areas on each floor within the State Capitol, pursuant to applicable laws and regulations; and

(3) Adding the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to receive copies of this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 148, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 148, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair