STAND. COM. REP. NO.  581

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 1225

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1225 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BINGO,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to afford native Hawaiians a unique and exclusive source of revenue by:

     (1)  Authorizing bingo to be conducted by one authorized            licensee at one site on Hawaiian home lands; and

     (2)  Establishing the Hawaii Bingo Commission within the            Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) to              regulate bingo within the State, including licensing,              taxation, criminal sanctions, and proper conduct and               methods for bingo.

     The Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly supported the intent of this bill.  The City and County of Honolulu Police Department, United Methodist Church, Hawai‘i Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, and several concerned individuals testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; DCCA; Radcliffe & Associates, LLC; and Hawaii Coalition provided comments. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1225 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Chair