Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism & Culture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1199 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate $500,000 for the Filipino centennial celebration, to be matched by the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission (Commission).

The Commission, Ilocos Surian Association of Hawaii, Congress of Visayan Organizations, and a concerned citizen supported this bill. The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts supported the intent of this bill.

Your Committee recognizes the valuable contributions made by the Filipino community in Hawaii and supports the Commission's efforts to honor their achievements through the centennial celebration. However, your Committee also notes that other sources of funding, such as grants-in-aid, may become available to meet the Commission's needs.

In light of this, your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation amount to $1 to promote further discussion on this matter. In addition, your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism & Culture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1199, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1199, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.