Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism & Culture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2668 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to clarify the funding for tourism research conducted by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) by specifying that funds for tourism research and statistics shall be transferred from the Tourism Special Fund (TSF) to DBEDT in accordance with a master plan and budget developed in coordination with the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA).

DBEDT, HTA, and the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association supported this bill.

Your Committee notes that concerns were raised regarding a provision in the bill that establishes that the transfer of funds to DBEDT from the TSF shall not be considered an expenditure of the TSF.

In light of this concern, your Committee has amended this bill by:

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. 2668, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2668, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.