STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1032-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3279

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 3279 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII UNITED OKINAWA ASSOCIATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the continuation of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association's (HUOA) mission to promote, preserve, and perpetuate the Okinawan culture, enhance awareness of the Okinawan culture and heritage in Hawaii through education, and provide community services by expanding the scope of a grant to the HUOA to include the purchase of land "relating to" the expansion of the Hawaii Okinawa Center.

     HUOA submitted comments.

     Your Committee, after hearing testimony from HUOA and being in agreement that this organization provides the people of Hawaii with many beneficial services, has taken into consideration changes to the bill that were requested by HUOA, and also notes that these amendments were reviewed and approved by the Director of Finance.  Therefore, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Clarifying that the grant provided to HUOA is to be for a public purpose, is in the public interest, and is for the public health, safety, and general welfare of the state;

(2)  Changing the expending agency from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Office of Community Services to the Department of Accounting and General Services' State Foundation on Culture and the Arts; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3279, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3279, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair