STAND. COM. REP. NO.758

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 993

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 993 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SMOKING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit smoking in the state capitol building.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the American Heart Association, HMSA, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, American Lung Association, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that smoking causes direct health hazards to both smokers and nonsmokers. Existing law prohibits smoking in various facilities and public open areas in state or county owned or controlled buildings. The State Capitol building is a unique structure in which interior open areas (including the "railing") are integral to the design and function of the State Capitol building. A large number of persons, including legislators, staff, constituents, and tourists, travel these interior open areas. Therefore, smoking in these areas subjects them to secondhand smoke and should be discontinued immediately.

Your Committee does recognize that individuals, including legislators, staff, and members of the public, may assess their own health risks and continue to smoke. That is their prerogative. Therefore, to accommodate smokers, your Committee has amended this measure by designating the following smoking areas in the capitol building:

(1) An open area fifteen feet from the center railing on the makai side of the fifth floor; and

(2) An open area ten feet from the capitol building on the makai side on the first floor.

The measure also allows the Department of Accounting and General Services to designate an alternate open area for the first floor if the alternate area is less frequented by pedestrian traffic than the statutorily designated area.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 993, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 993, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair