STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1733

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.C.R. No. 149

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on International Affairs and Economic Revitalization & Business, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 149 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A TASK FORCE TO ESTABLISH A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MARITIME PROVINCE, RUSSIA, FOR ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, SECURITY, AND INTELLECTUAL BENEFITS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Governor to set up a task force within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to establish a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and the Maritime Province, Russia for economic, cultural, security, and intellectual benefits.

     The Honorary Consul General of the Russian Federation in Hawaii and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.  DBEDT provided comments.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1)  Requesting the Governor to establish a sister-state relationship through the Hawaii Sister-State Committee between Hawaii and the Maritime Province, Russia rather than requesting the Governor to set up a task force within DBEDT to establish the sister-state relationship;

(2)  Removing provisions relating to the task force;

(3)  Specifying that in addition to the Governor, the Hawaii Sister-State Committee is requested to keep the Legislature fully informed of the process in establishing these relationships and to be involved in its formalization;

(4)  Amending its title to read:  "REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO ESTABLISH A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE HAWAII SISTER-STATE COMMITTEE WITH THE MARITIME PROVINCE, RUSSIA, FOR ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, SECURITY, AND INTELLECTUAL BENEFITS"; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on International Affairs and Economic Revitalization & Business that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 149, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 149, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on International Affairs and Economic Revitalization & Business,

____________________________ ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair

____________________________ KAREN L. AWANA, Chair