STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2346

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2077

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2077 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Add the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of Transportation; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of Agriculture; and the Executive Director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts as ex officio nonvoting members of the Hawaii Tourism Authority's Board of Directors;

(2) Clarify the authority and responsibility of the Hawaii Tourism Authority's Board of Directors;

(3) Rename the Tourism Marketing Plan to the Tourism Branding Plan;

(4) Require any state or county agency to render services upon request of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; and

(5) Repeal the Hawaii Tourism Authority Advisory Board.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Land and Natural Resources; and State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

Your Committees find that this measure better aligns with the Hawaii Tourism Authority's updated mission to focus on visitor and designation management. Your Committees recognize that although the provision to mandate any state or county agency to render services upon the authority's request could enable it to more effectively partner with other governmental agencies to resolve issues and effect change, the language is overly broad and does not provide any context for the types of services to be provided nor the conditions under which they must be provided.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Restoring language that allows, rather than require, any state or county agency to render services upon request of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2077, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2077, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Government Operations,

________________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair