STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3616

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 124

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.R. No. 124 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII SISTER-STATE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND THE INITIATION OF A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAWAII AND THE SPANISH PROVINCE OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Hawaii Sister-State Committee to recommend the initiation of a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and the province of Baleares.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee finds that pursuant to section 229-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the initiation of a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and another state or province follows an evaluation and recommendation by the Hawaii Sister-State Committee, which then forwards its recommendation to the Legislature for its consideration. Your Committee further finds that the province of the Balearic Islands, also known as Baleares, is comparable to Hawaii in many ways, including but not limited to geography, tourism, housing, climate, and other economic and social similarities. Your Committee concludes that the combination of similar experiences on opposite sides of the world between Hawaii and Baleares affords a valuable opportunity to develop, learn, and confront the most pressing issues effecting both places.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the State is encouraged to consider the initiation of a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and the Balearic Islands;

(2) Specifying that the State is urged to conduct exploratory outreach to meet with appropriate leaders representing the Balearic Islands;

(3) Adding language to urge the potential sister-state partnership to focus on key issues that Hawaii and the Balearic Islands have in common;

(4) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose; and

(5) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 124, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 124, S.D. 1.

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

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CHRIS LEE, Chair