STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3602

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 145

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Higher Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 145 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING STAKEHOLDERS TO UPDATE TO THE EAST-WEST CENTER STUDY TITLED "HAWAII AS AN EAST-WEST BRIDGE: A SURVEY OF THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF NON-TOURIST INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN HAWAII","

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request stakeholders to update the East-West Center study titled "Hawaii as an East-West Bridge: A Survey of the Economic Value of Non-Tourist International Activities in Hawaii".

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; East-West Center; CARES; and one individual.

Your Committees find that the East-West Center is an institution that was established by the United States Congress in 1960 to promote better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Your Committees further find that the East-West Center conducted a study over thirty years ago surveying the economic value of non-tourist international activities in Hawaii. Updating the study would explore the modernized role that these activities play in the State's economy and will provide insight into the diverse economic contributions beyond tourism that the State offers to the global community to further support the State's resilience and competitiveness in the global arena.

Your Committees note that this measure does not contain any specific outcomes, benchmarks, goals, or objectives to be accomplished from updating the East-West Center study. Your Committees further note that although this measure requests stakeholders to update the East-West Center study, only a representative from the East-West Center was present to testify on this measure, making it difficult to determine the efficacy or benefit of this measure without any additional stakeholder input, especially from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, whose written testimony suggests an estimate of costs to complete the study.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment to its title for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 145, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 145, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Higher Education,

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair

________________________________ LYNN DECOITE, Chair