STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3106

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3221

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3221, S.D. 1, 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 to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism $200,000 from general funds to support international sister-state relations.

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

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee recognizes that sister-state relations raise Hawaii's profile internationally; attract cooperative programs, including mutual exchanges in business, culture, tourism, and education; and positively impact Hawaii's economic growth. Your Committee finds that an appropriation for these relations will support existing relationships and activities that will continue to assist Hawaii in its international role.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation from $200,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3221, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3221, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair