STAND. COM. REP. NO. 513

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1375

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Tourism & International Affairs and Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1375 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE OF HAWAII MUSEUM OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure as it was received by your Committee, is to increase the amount of Transient Accommodations Tax revenues allocated to the Tourism Special Fund to $80,000,000 and allocating and appropriating therefrom $1,500,000 for the operation of the State of Hawaii Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Hawaii Museum); provided that:

(1) The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) shall, on an annual basis commencing March 31, 2020, calculate and adjust the allocation for the Hawaii Museum based on the Honolulu region consumer price index; and

(2) Notwithstanding a DBEDT calculated adjustment that would result in a reduction of the allocation, the allocation shall not be reduced and remain at the most recently established allocation amount.

For purposes of a public hearing on this measure, your Committee circulated a Proposed H.B. No. 1375, H.D. 1 (Proposed Draft). The purpose of the Proposed Draft is to appropriate $1,500,000 in general funds for each year of fiscal biennium 2019-2021 to the Hawaii Museum.

The Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, Society of Hawaiian Archaeology, International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc., O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Charles Reed Bishop Trust, and several individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure as it was received by your Committee. The Hawaii Tourism Authority, Bishop Museum, and an individual submitted testimony in support of the Proposed Draft.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Adopting the Proposed Draft; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Tourism & International Affairs and Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1375, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1375, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Tourism & International Affairs and Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Chair