HR270

WHEREAS, at present, Hawaii has seventy-two state and county sister relationships; and

WHEREAS, as of December, 2005, the State had fourteen sisters, including four each from Japan and the Philippines, three from the People's Republic of China, and one each from the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Portugal; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, in its State of Hawaii's Sister States/Cities: A Report to the Hawaii State Legislature January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005, supported the continued pursuit of sister relationships for both cultural and economic development reasons, with attention to fostering the most productive ties; and

WHEREAS, the Department reported that the most successful sister relationships occur when:

(1) There is commonality between Hawaii and the sister, primarily from geographical, historical, cultural, or economic standpoints;

(2) There are active and interested support groups, such as the Chambers of Commerce, and cultural and civic associations;

(3) There are economic benefits for both sisters, such as increased numbers of visitors, or enhanced investment or marketing opportunities;

(4) Close ties have been established between the educational institutions of the two potential sisters, including both student and faculty exchanges; and

(5) There is a clear, strong governmental interest in not only forming, but maintaining, the relationship; and

WHEREAS, however, to ensure the productivity and viability of a sister relationship, the Department recommended that the State needs a rigorous selection process, including reconstituting the Hawaii Sister-State Committee and the re-utilization of the Sister-State Application Form developed by the erstwhile Office of International Relations, which must incorporate:

(1) A letter from the Governor of the proposed sister;

(2) A designated point-of-contact person;

(3) Recent activity reports between Hawaii and the proposed sister;

(4) Recommendations for future activities; and

(5) Proposed calendar of future events; and

WHEREAS, although sister agreements traditionally are filled with general statements of friendship and goodwill, the Department recommended that they should include a higher degree of specificity, including each side's responsibilities to ensure that each sister agreement is realistically and mutually beneficial; and

WHEREAS, furthermore, the Department recommended that the State carefully review the quality of its sister relations to determine which ties should be strengthened and which should be severed; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to reevaluate the current status of Hawaii's sister relationships to ensure that such relationships are mutually beneficial and that truly productive relationships are not trivialized by those that are not productive; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to detail in its reevaluation:

(1) Which relationships are mutually beneficial and productive and should be maintained and nurtured;

(2) Which relationships are not currently mutually beneficial or productive but are worth maintaining with a view towards achieving mutual benefit and increased productivity; and

(3) Which relationships are not likely to become mutually beneficial or productive and thus should be terminated; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to report findings and recommendations, including any necessary proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008, on the status of Hawaii's current sister relationships; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to the heads of the cities or provinces of Hawaii's fourteen current sisters, namely Fukuoka, Okinawa, Hiroshima, and Ehime in Japan; Guangdong, Hainan, and Tianjin in the People's Republic of China; Taiwan; Ilocos Sur, Cebu, Pangasinan, and Ilocos Norte in the Republic of the Philippines, Cheju Island in the Republic of Korea, and the Azores Island of Portugal.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Sister City/Province Relationships; DBEDT Reevaluation

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	270
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII