STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2144

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 1522

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1522, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish an Office of Destination Management within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

(2) Require the Office of Destination Management to implement certain county destination management action plans;

(3) Repeal the Hawaii Tourism Authority;

(4) Appropriate funds to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to support the Office of Destination Management and fund positions; and

(5) Establish and appropriate funds for a tourism liaison officer within the Office of the Governor.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Taxation; Hawai‘i Tourism Authority; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; Maui Hotel & Lodging Association; and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts;

(2) Changing the number of positions established by this measure to unspecified numbers; and

(3) 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 Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1522, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1522, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair