STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1340

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 449

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Culture, Arts & International Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 449, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE FESTIVAL OF PACIFIC ARTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for the Commission on the Thirteenth Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture to plan for the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture to be held in Honolulu from June 6 to June 16, 2024.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawai‘i Tourism Authority; Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture; Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association, Halau Mohala I‘lima; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that this festival is an important venue for indigenous cultures from throughout the Pacific region to be celebrated and perpetuated through the sharing and passing of cultural traditions from one generation to the next. Your Committee further finds that the festival is expected to generate up to $27,000,000 in direct visitor spending, resulting in approximately $3,200,000 of state tax revenues.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $5,000,000.

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 S.B. No. 449, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 449, 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 Culture, Arts & International Affairs,

____________________________

ADRIAN K. TAM, Chair