Bill Text: HI SB1363 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Environmental Protection; Plastic Checkout Bags; Fee

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-04-13 - (H) Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 747). [SB1363 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB1363-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 779

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1363

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1363, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to protect the environment by requiring businesses to collect an offset fee of 25 cents for each non-reusable checkout bag it distributes, to reduce the excessive use of non-reusable checkout bags that present an unnecessary threat to the environment and ocean health.

 

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from Loretta J. Fuddy, Acting Director of Health, Department of Health; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Susan M. Houghton, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, Safeway; Bob Gutierrez, Director of Government Affairs, Times Supermarket; Stuart Coleman, Hawaii Coordinator, Surfrider Foundation; Robert D. Harris, Director, Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter; Carol Pregill, President, Retail Merchants of Hawaii; Rachel Harvey; and forty three individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the State has a compelling interest in protecting the natural environment.  Your Committee further finds that the excessive use of non-reusable checkout bags requires excessive processing of polluting fossil fuel for production of the bags, poses serious health risks to legally protected sea turtles and marine mammals, and burdens overcrowded landfills.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the definition of "exempt county" and references thereto;

 

     (2)  Deleting the exemption from the offset fee for recipients of food subsidies through the women, infants, and children program or the supplemental nutrition assistance program;

 

     (3)  Changing all dollar amounts and percentages to an unspecified amount; and

 

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

 

     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 S.B. No. 1363, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1363, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair