STAND. COM. REP. NO.  230

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 1651

      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 Committee on Economic Revitalization & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 1651 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SHIPBOARD GAMING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to stimulate Hawaii's economy and increase revenue for the State by establishing a regulatory framework for the conduct of licensed shipboard gaming in state waters.

     Radcliffe & Associates, LLC, supported this bill.  The Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii County League of Women Voters, Christian Voice of Hawaii, Hawaii Catholic Conference, Hawaii Family Forum, and several concerned individuals opposed this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance, Office of Information Practices, and a concerned individual submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the definition of "gaming ship" by increasing the minimum required capacity of the ship from 100 persons to 1,000 persons and requiring that the ship be able to provide, at a minimum, one overnight accommodation per person;

     (2)  Reducing the limit on the total number of ships operating under license granted pursuant to the provisions of this bill from four to two;

     (3)  Deleting the provision prohibiting gaming excursions from exceeding five hours for a round trip;

     (4)  Deleting the provision specifying that shipboard gaming shall be permitted in a county if it is approved in the county by referendum;

     (5)  Deleting the requirement that the Governor issue a proclamation that shipboard gaming has been approved by a county or counties in a referendum before the new shipboard gaming law established by the measure will take effect;

     (6)  Inserting an appropriation for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to carry out the purposes of this bill; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Revitalization & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1651, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1651, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Revitalization & Business,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair