STAND. COM. REP. NO.  589

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1547

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1547, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to support international relations in Hawaii by:

     (1)  Establishing a Legislative Protocol Fund (Fund);

     (2)  Clarifying the purposes of the Office of International Affairs (Office) to include, among other things, a focus on education, and appropriating funds to hire personnel for the Office; and

     (3)  Appropriating funds to bring the Second International Symposium on Freeway and Tollway Operations to Hawaii in 2009 and to begin preliminary planning for the conference.

     The Governor, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Clarifying the purpose of the Fund; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1547, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1547, H.D. 2, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on International Affairs,

____________________________

RIDA T.R. CABANILLA, Chair