Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was referred S.B. No. 1627 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to encourage and support community-based physical improvements resulting from comprehensive regional community-based economic development planning initiatives.

Testimony supporting this measure was submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, County of Hawaii, Hilo-Hamakua Community Development Corporation, Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, Empower Oahu, Empower North Shore Oahu, and the Waipahu Community Association. The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.

Your Committee finds that community-based economic development planning initiatives under the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism assist community organizations with economic development ventures and help build the skill level and capacity of an organization. Additionally, the impact of these initiatives has provided grassroots organizations the ability to empower the most "economically depressed" communities throughout Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting $200,000 for each fiscal year of the appropriation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1627, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1627, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.