STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1580

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1270

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1270, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HURRICANE RELIEF FUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund (HHRF) moneys into the general fund to make funds available to:

 

(1)  Balance the state budget for fiscal year 2011-2012, with a mechanism for the automatic replenishment of the HHRF for subsequent fiscal years; and

 

(2)  Maintain the levels of programs determined to be essential for education, public health, and public welfare.

 

Pursuant to the requirements set forth in Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Governor, in his Governor's Message dated April 5, 2011, to the Legislature, requested immediate consideration and passage of this bill, citing appropriating funds from the HHRF to the general fund to balance the state budget.

 

The Office of the Governor supported this bill.  The HHRF Board of Directors and Hawaii Association of REALTORS opposed this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs commented on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Indicating the Governor's recommendation for immediate passage of this bill in accordance with Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution;

 

(2)  Specifying an appropriation amount of $42,000,000 out of the HHRF for fiscal year 2010-2011 to be deposited into the general fund to balance the state budget and maintain the levels of programs determined to be essential for education, public health, and public welfare;

 

(3)  Instead of providing that the Director of Finance will determine the repayment schedule of general fund moneys back to the HHRF, requiring that $21,000,000 from all general excise tax revenues realized by the State be deposited into the HHRF during fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same amount be deposited into the HHRF during fiscal year 2014-2015;

 

(4)  Changing its effective date to upon approval; and

 

(5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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. 1270, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1270, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair