STAND. COM. REP. 225

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 248

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 248 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SMOKING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to prohibit smoking or the use of any tobacco product by any individual:

(1) On the premises of any public school;

(2) Riding a school bus or other vehicle used by a public school; or

(3) Attending an event or function at any location sponsored by a public school.

The Department of Education, Department of Human Resources Development, County of Hawaii Fire Department, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, and numerous individuals submitted testimony in support of this bill.

Your Committees find that students and employees of public schools should have the right to a smoke-free environment. While certain policies are in place regarding smoking on campus, this bill will ensure that public schools and public school events are smoke free. Your Committees would also like to note that the federal Pro-Children's Act of 1994 contains provisions prohibiting smoking on school campuses, but the applicability of this law is not clear. The Committee on Labor and Public Employment is encouraged to further investigate this federal law to determine if current school policies that allow smoking by certain employees in certain designated areas on campus are in violation of the law, which contains penalty provisions of $1,000 for each violation.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 248 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Employment.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,

 

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DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair

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ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair