CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 88-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2659

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2659, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGENERATIVE TOURISM,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Incorporate a regenerative framework into the Hawaii State Planning Act by expanding objectives and policies for the visitor industry;

(2) Require periodic updates to the Tourism Functional Plan;

(3) Specify elements to be included in the Tourism Functional Plan; and

(4) Require an update to the Tourism Functional Plan to be submitted to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025.

Your Committee on Conference finds that tourism has major environmental impacts, such as increased biodiversity loss, landscape impact, and waste and water scarcity. Regenerative tourism represents a sustainable way of traveling and discovering new places that also supports residents' preferences for managing tourism development. This measure incorporates a regenerative tourism framework into state planning objectives and policies to help maintain a high-quality visitor experience while counterbalancing many of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of tourism.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by making it effective upon its approval.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2659, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2659, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ SEAN QUINLAN Co-Chair	____________________________ LYNN DECOITE Chair
____________________________ RACHELE LAMOSAO Co-Chair	____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE Co-Chair
	____________________________ GLENN WAKAI Co-Chair