STAND. COM. REP. NO.  51

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 525

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 525 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PARKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit smoking, the use of electronic smoking devices, and the use of tobacco or betel nut products within the state park system.

The Department of Health, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai‘i, Surfrider Foundation, and numerous individuals supported this measure.  Volcano Fine Electronic Cigarettes, Hawaii Smokers Alliance, and several individuals opposed this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources and an individual commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting provisions relating to electronic smoking devices and betel nut products; and

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 525, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 525, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair