SB1438

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to create a commission composed of members from a wide range of Hawaii's communities to plan and coordinate the public celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Hawaii's admission to statehood in the United States of America.

The legislature finds and declares that the appropriation under this Act is in the public interest and would benefit the residents of Hawaii.

SECTION 2.(a) There is established a temporary commission to be known as the 50^th Anniversary of Statehood commission consisting of fifty-one members who shall be appointed by the governor, without regard to section 26-34, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

(b) The commission shall be placed within the office of the governor for administrative purposes and shall cease to exist after December 31, 2009.

(1) The four counties;

(2) Students from each island;

(3) Each branch of the United States Armed Forces, the United States Coast Guard, and the Hawaii National Guard;

(4) Academia;

(5) Labor;

(6) Center for Native Hawaiian Advancement;

(7) Office of Hawaiian affairs;

(8) The faith-based community; and

(9) Various business groups, chambers of commerce, and public service organizations that reflect the diversity of Hawaii's culture and people.

SECTION 3. The commission shall develop, plan, and coordinate various program activities to be scheduled to celebrate and commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the admission of Hawaii to statehood, including a series of events scheduled for August 2009, and shall submit to the legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2009, a written report of its recommendations, including the following:

(1) A detailed plan on how to execute its recommendations; and

(2) Identifying and recommending procedures for the appropriate disbursal of any public funds.

SECTION 4. Consistent with section 2 of this Act, the commission shall be thus composed:

(1) The chair of the commission shall be appointed by the governor. Members of the commission may elect any subordinate officers as the commission deems appropriate among the members but, at minimum, shall elect a vice-chair, vice-chair for finance, and vice-chair for events.

(2) All members of the commission serve at the pleasure of the governor. In the event of a vacancy, the governor may appoint a new member to fill the vacancy.

(3) Commission members shall serve on a voluntary basis without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for necessary travel expenses for attending commission meetings and while in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities under this Act.

SECTION 5. A two-thirds majority of commission members shall constitute quorum to do business and to validate any decision or act of the commission. The commission's meeting schedule shall be determined by the commission members.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for fiscal year 2007-2008 to be used by the commission for the purposes of this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the office of the governor.

SECTION 7. Any provision of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, the appropriation authorized under this Act shall not lapse of the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made. The unexpended and unencumbered balance of the appropriation made in this Act as of the close of business on December 31, 2009, shall lapse.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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BY REQUEST

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1438
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII