STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1245-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 3337

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was referred S.B. No. 3337, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ECONOMY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a public policy framework that addresses state goals regarding economic disaster mitigation and economic diversification;

(2) Appropriate funds to implement projects that address these goals;

(3) Require the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to submit annual reports to the Legislature summarizing project outcomes; and

(4) Appropriate funds to staff the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Hawaii State Energy Office; Hawaii Community Development Authority; Hawaii Technology Development Corporation; Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Hawai‘i Tourism Authority; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Hunt Development Group, LLC; Kapolei Chamber of Commerce; and seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committee finds that the early onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic devastated the State's economy. While the State is beginning to recover from the economic damages, your Committee believes that the State must improve its economic coordination and focus its efforts to meet state goals in the areas of economic disaster mitigation and economic diversification. This measure supports various efforts and projects that will help the State achieve these goals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that funds appropriated for a cyber leaders program may also be used for workforce and economic development of other defense related sectors;

(2) Changing the effective date to October 18, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Economic Development that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3337, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3337, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development,

____________________________

SEAN QUINLAN, Chair