STAND. COM. REP. NO. 66-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2735

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 2735 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Change the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to a steering committee to assist the Chief Tourism Officer;

(2) Rename the President and Chief Executive Officer as the Chief Tourism Officer and make the Chief Tourism Officer head of the Hawaii Tourism Authority;

(3) Repeal certain powers of the former Board of Directors and the Hawaii Tourism Authority; and

(4) Transfer certain functions relating to cultural grants from the Hawaii Tourism Authority to the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

Your Committee finds that while the perception of the managing agency of the State's top economic driver has grown more critical through the years, your Committee acknowledges the work and success of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Your Committee also finds that the Hawaii Tourism Authority has a study in progress examining various models of tourism governance to potentially replicate in the State. While your Committee agrees that more needs to be done to manage tourism in the State, overhauling the Hawaii Tourism Authority may be premature at this time.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting provisions that would have:

(A) Changed the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to a steering committee;

(B) Renamed the President and Chief Executive Officer as the Chief Tourism Officer; and

(C) Repealed certain powers of the Board of Directors and Hawaii Tourism Authority, except for language repealing the exemption of the Hawaii Tourism Authority from administrative supervision of boards and commissions;

(2) Revising the purpose section to reflect its amended purpose;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) 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 Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2735, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2735, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism,

____________________________

SEAN QUINLAN, Chair