Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Science, Arts, and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2214 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize funding, in the form of general obligation bonds, to complete the restoration of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium.

The Waikiki Improvement Association; the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Post 970; the National Association for Uniformed Services, Hawaiian Chapter; the American Legion, Department of Hawaii; the Disabled American Veterans, Department of Hawaii; the Disabled American Veterans, Honolulu Chapter; the Oahu Veterans Council; the Hawaii Ocean Swimming, Inc.; the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Western Office; Pacific Resource Partnership, and seventeen individuals testified in support of the measure. The Department of Land and Natural Resources testified in opposition to the measure. The Advisory Board on Veterans Services and the Office of Veterans Services of the Department of Defense offered comments on the measure.

Your Committee finds that this measure provides necessary funding to complete the restoration of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, a tribute to Hawaii's veterans of World War I. Once this restoration is completed, the Natatorium will once again become a popular venue for national as well as international water related sporting events which will generate significant revenue for the State. Further, the Natatorium will once again become a place where local residents can swim.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical amendments regarding the proper sequence of events in the ongoing renovation of the Natatorium since its closure in 1980.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Science, Arts, and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2214, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2214, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.