STAND. COM. REP. NO. 493

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1164

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1164 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BERNICE PAUAHI BISHOP MUSEUM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to support the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated as the State of Hawaii Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Bishop Museum.

Your Committee finds that over the past ten years, appropriations from the general fund to support the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (Bishop Museum) have significantly decreased. Your Committee further finds that restoring the State's allocation to the Bishop Museum is critical to ensure the museum's collections of Hawaiian and oceanic cultural, historical, and biological artifacts are properly preserved, protected, and maintained.

Your Committee notes that the Bishop Museum is currently receiving $626,000 from the State but anticipates that this allocation will be reduced by $200,000, a reduction that will severely impact the operations of Bishop Museum.

Should your Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Culture, Arts, and International Affairs respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $4,700,000 to support the Bishop Museum, including the hiring of necessary staff.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2065, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1164, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1164, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs,

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair