STAND. COM. REP. NO.  433-20

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2020

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2430

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2430 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to exempt feminine hygiene products from the general excise tax and provide funding to the Department of Education to make feminine hygiene products available to students for free on public secondary school campuses.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii State Teachers Association,  Hawaii Youth Services Network, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, I Support the Girls Hawaii, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, and numerous individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education, Department of Taxation, and Period Equity.

 

Your Committee finds that menstrual products are subject to sales or excise taxes in thirty-five states, including Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that according to a study published in 2019 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that nearly two-thirds, or sixty-four percent, of low‑income women in the United States could not afford menstrual products during the previous year, with nearly half of these women struggling to buy both food and feminine hygiene products within the last twelve months.  This measure will promote menstrual equity by exempting feminine hygiene products from the general excise tax and fund feminine hygiene products to be available for free on public secondary school campuses.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2050.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2430, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2430, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair