STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2889

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3011

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 3011 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE OF HAWAII MUSEUM OF MONARCHY HISTORY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the operation, maintenance, restoration, repair, and one full‑time groundskeeper for Iolani Palace.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Iolani Palace.

Your Committee finds that Iolani Palace is a living restoration of a proud Hawaiian national identity, a registered national Historic Landmark, and the only palace of official royal residence in the United States. Your Committee notes that the Friends of Iolani Palace receives no financial subsidy from the State of Hawaii for operational support for the development of cultural exhibits and events that educate people about the Hawaiian monarchy and therefore, must rely solely on ticket sales, gift shop sales, donations and special events held on the palace grounds. According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the last major repair of the Coronation Pavilion was in 1983 and minor work since then has exposed the need for major repairs to the wooden and concrete elements of the structure.

Your Committee acknowledges a critical need to renovate the Palace and palace grounds to preserve this treasured historical site.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation of an unspecified amount for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) groundskeeper position;

(2) Changing expending agency to the department of land and natural resources;

(3) Incorporating additional itemized appropriations;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2051, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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 S.B. No. 3011, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3011, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair