RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Hawaii benefits greatly from the Visa Waiver Program created by the U.S. Department of State, which allows for the waiver of certain pre-departure visa application formalities, interviews, and approvals for citizens of certain countries, including Japan; and

WHEREAS, the federal Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 included a requirement that travelers from all Visa Waiver Program countries, including Japan, have biometric identification included in their passports; and

WHEREAS, the current deadline for Visa Waiver Program countries to issue such biometrically-enabled passports is October 26, 2005; and

WHEREAS, the Japanese government currently estimates that biometrically-enabled passports will not be available to its citizens until March, 2006; and

WHEREAS, due to the non-feasibility of the Japanese government to issue biometrically-enabled passports by October 26, 2005, Japanese travelers will have to go through an onerous and time-consuming procedure of visa application and interviews prior to their departure from Japan and may thereby likely be discouraged from visiting Hawaii or attending events and activities in Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that at the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) is requested to study the possible impact to Hawaii of the non-extension of the deadline for biometrically-enabled passports for visitors to Hawaii from Visa Waiver program countries, including Japan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DBEDT is requested to provide any data and findings regarding the possible economic impact of the non-extension of the deadline to Hawaii’s Congressional delegation, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to assist in efforts to extend the deadline for compliance with the requirement for biometrically-enabled passports beyond October 26, 2005, to a date no earlier than March 31, 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DBEDT coordinate letters of strong support, to be transmitted to the President of the United States and Hawaii's Congressional delegation, from the Governor of the State of Hawaii, Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), and private businesses, for the extension of the deadline for biometrically-enabled passports beyond October 26, 2005, to a date no earlier than March 31, 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of HTA, the Director of DBEDT, the Office of the State Tourism Liaison, each member of Hawaii's Congressional delegation, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.