CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 154

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

RE:    S.B. No. 101

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 101, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BUDGET,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to enhance budgetary stability and transparency in the appropriation of state funds and to maximize financial resources for tobacco prevention and control.

     Specifically, the measure:

     (1)  Amends the distribution amounts allocated from the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund; and

     (2)  Appropriates general fund revenues to fund programs and items that were formerly supported by the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the revenue stream flowing into the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund has fluctuated over time and that the changing needs of tobacco prevention and control programs have led to significant variations in the allocations from the special fund from year to year.  Your Committee on Conference believes that this measure will create greater stability in the State's management of tobacco settlement moneys and will further the State's efforts relating to tobacco prevention and control.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation amounts in section 6 of the measure to $6,424,410 and $6,507,305, respectively, and clarifying that the moneys are to be used to fund positions and other operating expenditures in HTH590, chronic disease prevention and health promotion, for the purposes of this measure;

     (2)  Providing that funds appropriated in this measure may be transferred with the approval of the Governor to HTH590, chronic disease prevention and health promotion, in the General Appropriations Act of 2015 (H.B. No. 500, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1), for expenditure; and

     (3)  Requiring the Department of Health to submit a report to the Legislature on the expenditure of moneys appropriated under section 6 of the measure to fund positions and other operating expenditures in HTH590, chronic disease prevention and health promotion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 101, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 101, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE, Chair

____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair