Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 2781, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide a public information shield for booking records of the Hawaii Convention Center relating to certain information pertaining to licensees.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Testimony in opposition was received from the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter and two individuals. Comments were received from the Office of Information Practices.

This measure is intended to facilitate the booking of business at the Hawaii Convention Center. This measure addresses the situation wherein a potential licensee requests the pre-booking and booking information, including the license agreement, to be kept confidential. A licensee may want to do this for a variety of reasons, including maintaining privacy of planned corporate activities and of corporate publicity. Some companies include a nondisclosure provision in their license agreements as a standard procedure. Testimony indicated that a potential licensee may decide to book at another convention center if the booking information cannot be kept confidential.

Your Committee notes that this measure provides for confidentiality until ten days after the event has occurred or when the event is cancelled, which does not infringe upon freedom of information.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2781, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.