Senate Pushes Through Tax and Fee Hikes in 2011 Session

BY MEL AH CHING – Up to your ears with taxes and fees living in the state of Hawaii? Prepare to be completely covered from head to toe after this years additions.

This list includes every bill that adds, increases, or extends the life of taxes and fees proposed by the Hawaii State Senate, fortunately a few of the bills are dead, but many are still chugging through the Senate

TAX BILLS

• SB 162 The new vehicle for the pension tax. Status: awaiting DM in WAM
• SB 570 Reduces income tax deductions. Status: Passed WAM awaiting third reading in senate.
• SB 1179 Sugary beverage tax. Status deferred in HTH
• SB 1355 Streamline “Amazon.com” Tax. Status: Passed EDT, awaiting WAM hearing.
• SB 21 Tobacco Tax. Status: Awaiting a hearing
• SB 233 Tobacco Tax. Status: Passed HTH awaiting hearing in WAM
• SB1131 Fuel Tax increase, vehicle registration fee, vehicle weight fee Establishes the vehicle miles traveled pilot program and other pilot programs to test alternatives to the state and county system of motor vehicle fuel taxes. Status: Awaiting a hearing (SB 1329 is probably the preferred vehicle.)
• SB 1186 Applies a daily $10 transient accommodations tax to each transient accommodation furnished on a complimentary or gratuitous basis, or otherwise at no charge. Status: Passed TSM awaiting hearing in WAM.
• SB 1289 Liquor Tax increase. Status: Passed HTH awaiting hearing in WAM
• SB 1319 Original vehicle for pension tax in the governor’s package. Status: Awaiting hearing (dead due to SB 162 replacing it)
• SB1324 Extends the $3 a day surcharge tax on rental cars. Status: Passed CPN awaiting hearing in WAM.
• SB 1329 Increase in the motor vehicle weight tax. Status: Passed TIA, awaiting hearing in WAM (probably will be the vehicle for SB 1136)
• SB1458 Introduces a marijuana sales tax. Status: Passed PGM and HTH, awaiting hearing in WAM
• SB 1528 Introduces an admission tax and a wagering tax for shipboard gambling. Status: EDT deferred the measure.
• FEE BILLS
• SB150 Establishes fees for the review of buildings and facilities to ensure accessibility by persons with disabilities; fees will be in effect until the disability and communication access board adopts rules pursuant to Chapter 91, HRS. Status: Passed HMS awaiting hearing in WAM
• SB 195 Raises Marriage licenses Fee. Status: Awaiting a hearing
• SB 240 Permanently establishes the physician workforce assessment fee. Status: Passed EDU and HTH, awaiting hearing in WAM
• SB 577 Expands the list of materials subject to the beverage fee. Status: Measure deferred in ENE
• SB 593 Increases the vehicle registration fee by $1. Status: Awaiting a hearing.
• SB 641 Requires labeling of display fireworks; requires notification to the county by shipping companies and freight forwarders of incoming fireworks or articles pyrotechnic; allows inspection of display setups; imposes a fee for inspection of display setups. Status: measure deferred in PGM.
• SB 699 Establishes new filling fees in the office of Environmental Quality Control. Status; Passed ENE awaiting hearing in WAM.
• SB 703 Authorizes public utilities to charge a transmission and distribution fee for both intra-governmental wheeling and inter-governmental wheeling. Status: Passed ENE, awaiting hearing in CPN
• SB 775 Reauthorizes the construction site task force and narrows its focus to unlicensed activity; establishes a fee to offset the costs of task force activities to be added to license application and renewal fees. Status: Passed EDT and CPN, awaiting hearing in WAM.
• SB 779 Authorizes the procurement officer to pay a conceptual design fee to unsuccessful offerors. Status: Passed PGM, awaiting WAM hearing.
• SB 819 Authorizes the department of transportation to establish a vehicle miles traveled pilot program and under that pilot program, evaluate the use of a vehicle miles traveled user fee. Status: Passed TIA, awaiting WAM hearing.
• SB 829 Requires annual bicycle and moped fee. Status: Awaiting a hearing
• SB 938 Cemetery contract fee. Status: Awaiting a hearing.
• SB996 Imposes a probation services fee on any defendant granted a deferred acceptance of guilty or no contest plea. Status: Awaiting a hearing.
• SB 1131 Increases the state liquid fuel tax; state vehicle registration fee; state vehicle weight fee. Establishes the land transportation modernization special fund. Provides funding for a six-year comprehensive modernization program. Establishes the vehicle miles traveled pilot program and other pilot programs to test alternatives to the state and county system of motor vehicle fuel taxes. Status: Awaiting a hearing
• SB 1299 Allows the Disability and Communication Access Board to charge a fee to defray expenses of reviewing construction plans to ensure compliance with law. Establishes an accessible building design special account for moneys to be deposited from fees collected. Status: Awaiting a hearing
• SB1305 Increases the fee for the registration certificate for qualifying patients for medical marijuana. Status: awaiting a hearing.
• SB 1311 Authorizes the department of land and natural resources to collect fees to cover the technical assistance program costs associated with habitat conservation plans. Status: Passed WLH, awaiting a hearing in WAM.
• SB 1328 Allows for increase in the State motor vehicle registration fee and deposits the money into the State Highway Fund. Status: Passed TIA, awaiting WAM.
• SB 1361 Imposes a 25 cent plastic bag fee. Status: Passed ENE and EDT awaiting WAM hearing.
• SB 1458 Establishes a fee for the issuance and renewal of a marijuana license. Status: Passed PGM and HTH, awaiting a hearing in WAM.
• SB 1519 Amends the secure and fair enforcement for mortgage licensing act to establish licensing fees for sponsoring entities. Status: Passed CPN, awaiting a hearing in WAM.

These are just the bills that have been proposed by the Senate. The good news, the bills that have not gotten a preliminary hearing by now are by and large dead. The bad, we st ill have to receive all the taxes and fees from the House of Representatives. If you are up to your ears already, I’d suggest an umbrella.

KEEP A WATCH ON THE LEGISLATURE AT HAWAIISENATEWATCHDOG.ORG

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