STAND. COM. REP. NO.  608

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 940

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 940 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1)  Prohibit the use of electronic smoking devices in places where smoking is already illegal; and

(2)  Update smoking prohibition signage requirements to specifically include the prohibition of electronic smoking devices in such places.

The Department of Health, University of Hawaii Student Health Advisory Council, American Heart Association, American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific, Hawaii COPD Coalition, Hawaii Community Pharmacy Association, Hawaii Public Health Association, Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and numerous individuals supported this measure.  VOLCANO Fine Electronic Cigarettes, PC Gamerz, and numerous individuals opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the provision regarding specifications for signage that prohibits smoking;

(2)  Changing its effective date to January 1, 2016; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.  

     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 H.B. No. 940, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 940, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair