HB569

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that tourism is the economic engine that drives the State's economy. Hawaii relies greatly upon the revenues generated by tourism and the vibrant economic activity that it stimulates. The State is able to do this in large part because it holds the competitive advantage of being blessed with many natural attributes that make the islands an attractive visitor destination. However, the visitor industry is an extremely competitive one and the State, through both the public and private sectors, needs to work to maintain and enhance Hawaii's current competitive advantage. This means not only maintaining current infrastructure, but also upgrading and developing new infrastructure to create a visitor-friendly environment. The Waikiki area on Oahu exemplifies both the attraction an area has for visitors and the need to maintain and upgrade the visitor experience.

The purpose of this Act is to create a taskforce to investigate the development of a tourism economic district in an area such as Waikiki in which the public and private sectors and the state and county governments and agencies can explore ways to revitalize a district in a preeminent visitor destination in a cooperative and creative way.

SECTION 2. Tourism economic district in Waikiki; taskforce; membership; duties; report; termination. (a) There is created the temporary tourism economic district taskforce, to be placed within the department of business, economic development, and tourism, for administrative purposes. The governor shall appoint members to the taskforce no later than thirty days after the effective date of this Act, to consist of the following individuals representing:

(1) The department of business, economic development, and tourism;

(2) The Hawaii tourism authority;

(3) The governor's office;

(4) The office of the mayor of the city and county of Honolulu;

(5) The council of the city and county of Honolulu;

(6) The chairpersons, or their designees, of the legislative standing committees overseeing tourism affairs in the senate and the house of representatives, respectively;

(7) The Waikiki Improvement Association;

(8) The Waikiki neighborhood board;

(9) Visitor industry businesses or associations; and

(10) The general public.

The taskforce shall elect from among its members a chairperson and any other officers it deems necessary. Members shall not be compensated but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the conduct of their duties.

(b) The taskforce shall convene its initial meeting no later than twenty days after the governor has appointed all the members of the taskforce. The taskforce shall investigate the following:

(1) Identify, define the boundaries of, and designate one particular district within the Waikiki area on Oahu to be the tourism economic district;

(2) Determine the ideal components and their interrelationships within the tourism economic district in terms of:

(A) Infrastructure;

(B) Density and carrying capacity;

(i) Residential;

(ii) Business or commercial;

(iii) Recreational; and

(iv) Other uses; and

(D) Any other components; and

(3) Determine the actions, including fast-tracking zoning approvals, use of tax incentives, and other actions that are necessary for the public and private sectors to take in order to create this tourism economic district.

(c) The taskforce shall submit a final written report to the governor, the legislature, and the mayor and county council of the city and county of Honolulu, no later than December 31, 2007, detailing its findings and recommendations, including any necessary proposed legislation. The taskforce shall terminate on June 30, 2008.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, for purposes of this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	569
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII