STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1388

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 473

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 473, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE FOUNDATION ON CULTURE AND THE ARTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Creative Workforce Grant Program for the awarding of grants to eligible nonprofit arts and culture organizations to support the living wage of creative workers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts; Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Inc.; Hawai‘i Arts Alliance; Honolulu Printmakers; and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's creative arts workforce of culture and arts organizations, individual artists, and cultural practitioners are an important and unique resource to Hawaii's economy and local communities.  Creative workforce grants will provide support towards a living wage in the regional area where the creative worker performs their work, as some may face barriers to participation and employment in creative works industries. Additionally, supporting creative work through workforce grants will also support arts and cultural programming and projects that are publicly available and accessible.  This measure supports artists, cultural practitioners, and other creative workers who contribute to the State's growing visual and performing arts sectors.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 473, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

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CHRIS LEE, Chair