STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3567

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 148

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.R. No. 148 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO COLLABORATE WITH UNIVERSITIES IN THE STATE TO CONVENE THE HAWAII CREATIVE INNOVATION GROUP,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to collaborate with universities in the State to convene the Hawaii Creative Innovation Group.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee finds that the State's cultural creatives, fabric and fashion designers, graphic artists, musicians, songwriters, and performing artists are intrinsic to the identity of the State. Your Committee further finds that the State intends to provide new product development support from early-stage trials to commercialization by establishing the infrastructure, network of programs providing expert advice, and facilities that have equipment of various scales specifically tailored to the fashion and music industry sectors of the creative economy. This measure requests the convening of the Hawaii Creative Innovation Group to scale-up and expand the fashion, design, and music industries and develop a strategy by which the State can grow emerging creative sectors into new brands, music placement, music sectors, companies, and value-added businesses in design, fashion, and technology.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language to clarify that members from the private sector are requested to be invited by the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 148, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 148, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

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LYNN DECOITE, Chair