STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1491

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 201

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.R. No. 201 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A CREATIVE RESURGENCE TASK FORCE TO BUILD AND FOSTER CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION THROUGH THE ARTS, CULTURE, AND HUMANITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that a creative resurgence task force be convened to build and foster creativity and innovation through the arts, culture, and humanities in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawai‘i Alliance for Arts Education dba Hawai‘i Arts Alliance; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

Your Committee finds that before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Hawaii had a thriving creative sector. With the support of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism's (DBEDT) Creative Industries Division in workforce development, infrastructure, and access to capital, Hawaii's creative sector had developed business acumen and ability structure to export its intellectual property. In 2019, the fifty-three thousand individuals and small businesses forming Hawaii's creative economy had contributed $4,000,000,000 to the State's gross domestic product.

Your Committee further finds that the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including significant decrease in visitors to Hawaii, cancellation of various events, and closure of public forums have disproportionately affected the nation's and Hawaii's creative economy. With students, educators, and artists being unable to gather, perform, hold art and cultural events, or pursue their studies, creativity in society and educational institutions diminished as well, leading to significant losses in arts education and the humanities.

Your Committee notes that multiple measures proposing to support the State's creative economy have been considered by the Legislature during recent sessions. Your Committee is hopeful that including a wide variety of members on the task force will help to regain that momentum and lead to a rapid formulation of an effective measure to achieve the objective of building and fostering creativity and innovation in Hawaii through the arts, culture, and humanities.

Your Committee notes testimony from DBEDT that its Director be included as a member of the task force. Your Committee also notes the request from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to include the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations and Director of Taxation as well.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the composition of the task force by:

(A) Eliminating the Executive Director of The Pōpolo Project and Hawaii Strategy Lab pursuant to their request, member of the Senate, and member of the House of Representatives; and

(B) Including the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of Labor and Industrial Relations; and Director of Taxation; and

(2) Amending the list of recipients of copies of the resolution to reflect the changes in the task force membership; and

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

Your Committee requests that the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism initially convene the task force, and thereafter have the task force members select its chairperson and vice chairperson from among its members, as provided in this measure.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 201, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 201, S.D. 1.

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

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair