Bill Text: HI SB734 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Taxation; State Income Tax Check-off

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-01 - Carried over to 2012 Regular Session. [SB734 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB734-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 274

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 734

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 734 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to permit certain state taxpayers to designate a portion of their state income tax refunds to the Natural Area Reserve Fund, the Land Conservation Fund, and the Rental Housing Trust Fund.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Ocean Tourism Coalition; Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS; The Nature Conservancy; and Conservation Council for Hawai‘i.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure would provide taxpayers with the option to donate a portion of their state income tax refund to one of these programs without reducing the amount of tax going to other state programs.  Your Committee further finds that the Natural Area Reserve Fund and the Land Conservation Fund have experienced reductions in state funding for the past two years, due to decreases in conveyance tax revenues, while the funds continue to support essential services.  Your Committee also finds that the Rental Housing Trust Fund supports programs that provide rental housing opportunities, particularly for low-income households.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 734, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 734, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Housing,

 

		____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair