STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1783

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 349

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 349 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to designate June 21 as International Yoga Day.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Gandhi International Institute for Peace, Still and Moving Center, Raj Kumar, and fourteen individuals.

Your Committee finds that yoga is a long standing tradition in Indian culture that is practiced by many people in Hawaii. On December 11, 2014, the United Nations adopted a resolution proclaiming June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Accordingly, this measure will recognize June 21 of each year as International Yoga Day in Hawaii.

Your Committee notes that S.B. No. 267, S.D. 1 (Regular Session of 2019), which was previously passed by the Senate, is a substantially similar measure that also designates June 21 as International Yoga Day. Your Committee concludes that the language in S.B. No. 267, S.D. 1 is preferable because it is more consistent with language in the Hawaii Revised Statutes and contains a more accurate preamble.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the contents of S.B. No. 267, S.D. 1, a substantially similar measure that designates June 21 as International Yoga Day.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 349, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 349, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts,

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair