STAND. COM. REP. NO.  209-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2440

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 2440 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE CAPITOL AREA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to honor Hawaii's men and women who served in the armed forces as well as Hawaii's rich royal history.  Among other things, this measure:

     (1)  Designates the Hotel Street Mall behind the Capitol Building as Memorial Mall and requires all future war memorials sited on the State Capitol grounds to be only placed in proximity to or along the Mall; and

     (2)  Establishes the Ho‘onoho Pono Working Group to supervise and direct the interchanging of the Eternal Flame, located on Beretania Street, and the Spirit of Lili‘uokalani Statue, located on the Hotel Street Mall behind the Capitol Building, and to design bronze plaques and bronze kahili to be placed on the wall directly behind the current location of the Eternal Flame honoring various members of the Hawaiian monarchy.

The Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, Washington Place Foundation, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Accounting and General Services supported the intent of this bill.  The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and several concerned individuals testified in opposition to this measure.  The State Office of Veterans Services submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate to:

     (A)  Jointly appoint representatives from various specific private entities to the Ho‘onoho Pono Working Group rather than directly appointing these representatives to the Working Group; and

     (B)  Respectively appoint a member of the House of Representatives and the Senate to the Working Group;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2440, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2440, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Legislative Management.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts,

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair