STAND. COM. REP. NO.  865-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1692

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1692, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOURISM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (Authority) by adopting recommendations from the Office of the Auditor that require the Authority's brand management plan to be contained within a single, comprehensive document, and include a report on progress toward achieving strategic plan goals in its annual report.

The Authority provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Office of the Auditor provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the provision that allows the Authority to withhold from public disclosure competitively sensitive information under certain circumstances;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, for the purpose of facilitating further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, 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 H.B. No. 1692, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1692, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair