Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3043 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a three-year pilot program known as the "Aloha Aina Patrol" that will provide security and assistance to tourists in counties with a population in excess of five hundred thousand.

An appropriation from the transient accommodations tax trust fund will fund the program.

Your Committee finds that tourism is a vital part of the economy of the State of Hawaii, and the Aloha Aina Patrol is an innovative way to address the crime problem while spreading the Aloha Spirit. The Aloha Aina Patrol will assure visitors to Hawaii, as well as local residents, that they will be safe from crimes against persons or property.

The Aloha Aina Patrol will create additional security patrols geared toward parks and beaches where there have been too many incidents of crime against visitors and residents. The Hawaii Tourism Authority, in conjunction with county police departments, will determine the specific areas to be patrolled. The patrols will consist of police cadets and police service officers. The plan is to have Aloha Aina Patrol officers in aloha attire versus police uniforms, thus emphasizing the Aloha Spirit.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the amount of the appropriation to allow the bill to move forward while work on the budget continues. Your Committee has also made technical nonsubstantive amendments to the bill to among other things, clarify that the establishment of the Aloha Aina Patrol program in counties with a population of over 500,000 is mandatory.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3043, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3043, S.D. 1.