STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1696

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1060

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1060, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREWORKS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure adequate funding for county fire departments' auditing and oversight expenses related to fireworks by increasing the permit fees associated with using and importing fireworks.

 

     The State Fire Council, Honolulu Fire Department, Legislative Information Services of Hawaii, American Lung Association in Hawaii, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  A concerned individual submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by replacing its contents with provisions that impose a surcharge of 50 percent of the gross receipts of the consumer fireworks sold at the retail level.

 

     As amended, this bill also:

 

(1)  Requires fireworks retailers to register with the Department of Taxation (DOTAX) and make a one-time payment of $20 to DOTAX to obtain a certificate of registration;

 

(2)  Provides that selling fireworks without a certificate of registration is a misdemeanor;

 

(3)  Provides guidelines for payment of the surcharge to the Director of Finance to be credited to the general fund;

 

(4)  Directs DOTAX to establish rules to successfully execute the consumer fireworks surcharge process;

 

(5)  Changes the effective date to December 15, 2009; and

 

(6)  Makes technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, 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. 1060, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1060, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair