STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1019-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.C.R. No. 26

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 26 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII SISTER-STATE COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE INITIATION OF A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE OF GOA IN THE COUNTRY OF INDIA AND FORWARD ITS RECOMMENDATION TO THE LEGISLATURE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 229-3, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, FOR FURTHER ACTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii Sister-State Committee to evaluate and develop recommendations to initiate a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and Goa, Republic of India, for economic, social, cultural, educational, and environmental benefits.

United States Representative Tulsi Gabbard; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Gandhi International Institute for Peace, Hawaii; Living Life Source Foundation; and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies opposed this measure.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 26 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair