Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Economic Development and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 101 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the East-West Center to conduct and publish an inventory of international activities in Hawaii in order to aid business, government, and civic organizations in Hawaii.

Offering comments on the measure were the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the East-West Center.

Your Committees find that this measure recognizes the importance of maintaining a centralized catalog system of international activities that is not only readily accessible, but also provides relevant and timely information to the public. This information, which encompasses trade, commerce, economic development, and cultural activities in Hawaii, is of particular interest to organizations and countries in the Pacific Rim as well as local businesses and residents.

Your Committees find that organizations currently provide information, on an ad hoc basis, to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism relating to international activities in Hawaii. However, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism testified that these organizations frequently request that this information be kept confidential, citing the privacy concerns expressed by the clients of these organizations over fears of receiving unsolicited contacts. As such, your Committees find that only those organizations that have communicated their consent to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism in disclosing this information to the public should be published on the state government's website.

Your Committees also find that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the East-West Center both expressed concerns regarding the lack of sufficient funding to conduct a thorough inventory of international programs and activities taking place in Hawaii.

Your Committees find that in order to defray the costs associated in compiling and maintaining this inventory, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the East-West Center are encouraged to solicit funding from a variety of sources, including federal grants as well as the private organizations that consent to having information listed on the state government website.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 101, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 101, S.D. 1.