STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1008

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1296

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1296, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DESIGNATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to meet federal statutory requirements for designation as an Economic Development District by establishing an economic development district planning organization within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Hawaii Island Economic Development Board; and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committee finds that the Economic Development District designation facilitated by this measure will give the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; other state agencies; and non-profit organizations in the State access to federal resources, including federal funds, that are only available to formally designated Economic Development Districts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the two full-time equivalent economic development planning analyst positions created by the measure should be hired without regard to Chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Changing the amount of the appropriation from $200,000 to an unspecified sum;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1296, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1296, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair