STAND. COM. REP. NO. 603-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2551

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 2551 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the International Sister State Relations Program of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has formal sister state relations with eighteen foreign states. Significant anniversaries are planned to be recognized and celebrated in 2020 with Okinawa, Japan, and Ilocos Norte, Philippines; and in 2021 with Fukuoka, Japan; Jeju, Korea; and Ilocos Sur, Cebu, and Isabella, Philippines. Your Committee further finds that additional funding for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism International Sister State Relations Program is needed to support the business and trade missions; conferences, symposiums, and seminars; and educational and cultural exchanges to be conducted in conjunction with the respective sister state anniversary recognition celebrations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to report to the Legislature on the types of economic activity generated from activities funded by the sum appropriated in this measure;

(2) Changing the amount appropriated to an unspecified sum;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that other states seem to be moving aggressively to generate economic and other opportunities from sister state relations and emphasizes that it would like to see more activity from the International Sister State Relations Program.

Should Your Committee on Finance decide to hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $100,000 for strategic marketing and support (BED100) for the support of international sister state relations.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2551, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2551, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair