STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1217-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   S.B. No. 2187

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2187, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve Hawaii's tourism industry and the administration of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) by, among other things:

     (1)  Authorizing HTA to maintain confidentiality of certain sensitive information;

     (2)  Allowing information relating to marketing plans and strategies to be disclosed after the execution of the marketing plans and strategies;

     (3)  Specifying that HTA executive meetings must adhere to the Sunshine Law under Chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (4)  Conforming reporting requirements for contracts or agreements entered into by HTA to current practices;

     (5)  Requiring HTA to include in the measure of effectiveness of its marketing plan, documentation of the progress of the marketing plan towards achieving its strategic plan goals, instead of its benefits; and

     (6)  Extending for five years the statutory provisions that:

          (A)  Exempt HTA accounts from the supervision of the Comptroller;

          (B)  Authorize the deposit of interest and revenues from projects and project agreements into the Tourism Special Fund; and

          (C)  Authorize HTA to:

               (i)  Use up to five percent of moneys in the    Tourism Special Fund for administrative   expenses; and

              (ii) Pay the Executive Director up to nine percent   of

the funds authorized for administrative    expenses.

     HTA, the Office of Information Practices, and Tourism Liaison provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for consistency, clarity, 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 S.B. No. 2187, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2187, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair