STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3029

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2688

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2688, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to change the name of the environmental health education fund to the sanitation and environmental health special fund and allow the use of the fund for sanitation branch activities.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Allows moneys in the special fund be used to conduct program activities and functions of the sanitation branch, including permit issuance, inspections, and enforcement;

 

(2)  Increases the cap on annual fund administration expenses from $90,000 to $140,000; and

 

(3)  Increases from $300,000 to $2,445,000, the ceiling of the special fund above which amounts must be transferred to the general fund.

 

     Written comments presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure will allow the Department of Health to address the crisis in the shortage of food safety employees and inspectors in the State.

 

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing the ceiling on the sanitation and environmental health special fund to $1,500,000;

 

(2)  Inserting language to allow moneys in the special fund to be used to hire additional sanitation branch inspectors;

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

 

(4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2688, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2688, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair