CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 167-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2012

RE:    S.B. No. 490

       S.D. 3

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 490, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Increase the maximum allocation of transient accommodations tax revenue to the tourism special fund from $69,000,000 to an unspecified amount until June 30, 2015; and

     (2)  Require an unspecified amount of monies in the tourism special fund to be expended for initiatives to take advantage of expanded visa programs and increased travel opportunities for international visitors to Hawaii.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the federal government's initiatives to make it easier for international travelers to visit the United States through improved visa processing and visa waivers will be highly beneficial to Hawaii's tourism economy and this measure will allow further development and implementation of programs to take advantage of the expanded visa programs and international travel opportunities, particularly from Asia.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an amount of $71,000,000 as the maximum allocation of transient accommodations tax revenue to the tourism special fund until June 30, 2015;

     (2)  Inserting an amount of $2,000,000 of tourism special fund monies to be expended for initiatives to take advantage of expanded visa programs and increased travel opportunities for international visitors to Hawaii until June 30, 2015; and

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2012.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 490, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 490, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ TOM BROWER, Co-Chair	____________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair
____________________________ KAREN L. AWANA, Co-Chair
____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair