STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1616

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.C.R. No. 140

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committees on Economic Development & Technology and Culture & Arts, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 140 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII SISTER-STATE COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE INITIATION OF A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAWAII AND NEW ZEALAND TO FOSTER STRONGER TIES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ARTS AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE, EDUCATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Hawaii Sister-State Committee to evaluate and develop recommendations for the initiation of a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and New Zealand to foster stronger ties in economic development, arts and cultural exchange, education, and environmental sustainability.

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

Your Committees find that establishing a formal relationship between Hawaii and New Zealand could help foster ties in economic development, culture, education, and environmental sustainability. However, your Committees recognize that sister-state relationships are typically initiated with provinces and prefectures, not countries, and that initiating a different kind of relationship between Hawaii and New Zealand would be more appropriate.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Urging the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to evaluate and develop recommendations for a memorandum of understanding between Hawaii and New Zealand instead of urging the Hawaii Sister-State Committee to evaluate a sister-state relationship;

(2) Adding the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and removing the Chair of the Hawaii Sister-State Committee from the list of recipients of certified copies of this measure; and

(3) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development & Technology and Culture & Arts that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 140, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 140, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development & Technology and Culture & Arts,

____________________________ JEANNE KAPELA, Chair

____________________________ GREGGOR ILAGAN, Chair