STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2555

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3221

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 3221 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL SISTER-STATE RELATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to support international sister-state relations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Japan-American Society of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii established its first sister-state relationship thirty years ago with Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and since then, has continued to expand its relations with various foreign provinces and prefectures. As of today, Hawaii has a total of nineteen sister-states around the globe, including prefectures and provinces in Japan, Portugal, China, The Philippines, Korea, Morocco, Indonesia, and India.

According to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, sister-state relationships are partnerships between governments that serve as a catalyst for trade and investment opportunities in Hawaii. For Hawaii, sister-state relationships serve to raise the State's profile internationally and attract dynamic cooperative programs such as mutual exchanges in business, culture, tourism, and education that positively impact Hawaii's economic growth. Your Committee finds that this measure will provide needed support to leverage existing relationships and activities that will continue to increase Hawaii’s international role.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an appropriation amount of $200,000.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3221, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3221, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair