STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1389

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 184

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 184 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO PRODUCE AN INTEGRATED STRATEGIC PLAN FOR REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT BY THE STATE OF HAWAII IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to convene a working group to produce an integrated strategic plan for regional engagement by the State of Hawaii in the Pacific Islands Region.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from eleven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee finds that the East-West Center has engaged in efforts to revitalize the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders' annual dialogue, which has historically linked Hawaii, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa with the Northern Pacific in a concrete framework. The discussions have addressed our shared concerns about migration, health care, climate change, gender equality, and economic development. Therefore, your Committee believes that the working group and development of an integrated strategic plan for regional engagement requested by this measure would allow Hawaii to achieve the long-term objective of reaffirming itself as the political, economic, environmental, sociological, and technological epicenter for regional engagement in the Pacific Island region.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 184 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair