STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1321

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 925

H.D. 3

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 925, H.D. 3, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a Performing Arts Special Fund to be used for the coordination, planning, promotion, marketing, and execution of performing arts events and to be funded by a percentage of all ticket sales from concerts held at state venues.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance, and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Education; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority; and University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee finds that the State recognizes the invaluable role that the performing arts play in the State's culture and

economy. Your Committee further finds that recent efforts have focused on the expansion of programs to include performing arts and other initiatives to enhance an array of arts programming across the State. Therefore, this measure will expand access to vital arts and cultural opportunities across the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the unspecified percentage of all ticket sales from concerts held at state venues designated to be deposited into the Performing Arts Special Fund to one percent; and

(2) Adding language to exempt any concert that is primarily performed by students enrolled at Department of Education schools or the University of Hawaii from the one percent of ticket sales allocation for the Performing Arts Special Fund.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 925, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 925, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair