STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1545

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 118

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Higher Education and Health, to which was referred S.R. No. 118 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII ADMINISTRATION TO ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A TOBACCO-FREE UNIVERSITY POLICY FOR ALL UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES AND FACILITIES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the administration of the University of Hawaii System to establish and implement a tobacco-free policy for all University of Hawaii System campuses and facilities.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; University of Hawaii at Manoa Student Health Advisory Council; Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, American Heart Association; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Hawaii Government Employees Association, Local 152, AFL-CIO (HGEA); and nineteen individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that creating tobacco-free campuses is a growing trend in the United States.  The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation reports that as of January 1, 2013, nearly eight hundred colleges and universities across the United States had adopted policies that require one hundred percent tobacco-free campuses, including all campuses in the University of California System, University of Oregon, and University of Arkansas, to name a few.

 

     Your Committees request that the University of Hawaii System work with HGEA to address concerns regarding providing tobacco cessation education and assistance on campus.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the University of Hawaii's Executive Policy E10.102 on Tobacco Products was updated in April 2012 and making conforming amendments;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that while the updated Executive Policy E10.102 prohibits smoking under certain circumstances, it does not make all University of Hawaii campuses tobacco-free;

 

     (3)  Adding language to require that certified copies of this measure be sent to the Chancellors of each campus in the University of Hawaii System; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 118, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 118, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Health,

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair