STAND. COM. REP. NO. 496

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1308

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. 1308 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JUNETEENTH DAY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to designate June 19 of each year as Juneteenth.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, one member of the Hawai‘i County Council, two members of the Honolulu City Council, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, Hawai‘i Arts Alliance, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, BKKM Enterprises Corp, Young Progressives Demanding Action, Hawai‘i for Juneteenth, Community Alliance on Prisons, and eleven individuals.

Your Committee finds that although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on September 22, 1862, outlawing slavery in Texas and other rebel states, slavery did not officially end in Texas until Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and announced the end of slavery and the Civil War. Your Committee further finds that Hawaii is one of three states that does not currently recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or special day of observance. This measure will establish Juneteenth as a day of recognition of the history and legacy of slavery in the United States and the many contributions made by African Americans to the history of the United States.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2065, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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. 1308, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1308, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair