STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1242

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.R. No. 150

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs, to which was referred H.R. No. 150 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII SISTER-STATE COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE INITIATION OF A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii Sister-State Committee to evaluate and develop recommendations for the initiation of a sister-state relationship with the City of Auckland, New Zealand.

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

Your Committee finds that the indigenous people of Hawaii and New Zealand share many similarities in their cultures and languages and that collaboration with the many Maori and Polynesian cultural institutes in New Zealand would be beneficial to Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that since 2014, Hawaii has participated in the Pasifika Festival, an annual Pacific Islands-themed festival held in Auckland, New Zealand. This measure allows the Hawaii Sister-State Committee to consider developing a sister-state relationship with Auckland, New Zealand as a means of deepening the existing cultural and economic ties between Hawaii and New Zealand.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 150, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 150, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair