CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE REP. NO. 216
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: S.B. No. 1571
S.D. 2
H.D. 3
C.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir and Madam:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1571, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOURISM,"
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
The purpose of this measure is to:
(2) Designate the Board of Directors of the Authority as an advisory board;
(3) Make
the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Authority a position appointed
by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate; and
(4) Amend the eligibility requirements to serve on the Authority's Board of Directors by repealing the two-year waiting period for former Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau board members.
Your Committee on Conference finds that exempting all positions within the Authority from the State's Civil Service Law is necessary to support the State's commitment to the improving the visitor industry. This measure will provide the Authority with greater flexibility to recruit skilled professionals to carry out its mission.
Your Committee on Conference notes that this measure is an effort to improve and strengthen and rebuild public trust in the Authority by ensuring leadership accountability and proper oversight.
Your Committee on
Conference has amended this measure by:
(1) Inserting
language that amends the definition of "convention center facility" for
the purposes of chapter 201B, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to mean any combination
of land, buildings, and improvements thereon acquired or developed by the State
that reflects a Hawaii, rather than Hawaiian, sense of place;
(2) Designating the Authority's Board of Directors as an advisory board, rather than a policy-making board;
(3) Amending the
composition of the Authority's Board of Directors by:
(A) Requiring
the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to each appoint one member, rather than
requiring three members to be appointed
by the Governor from a list of three names submitted for each appointment by
the President of the Senate, and three members to be appointed by the Governor
from a list of three names submitted for each appointment by the Speaker of the
House of representatives; provided that if fewer than three names are submitted
for each appointment, the Governor may disregard the list;
(B) Repealing
statutory language that prohibits more than three members to represent, be
employed by, or be under contract to any sector of the industry represented on
the Board;
(C) Repealing
statutory language that requires one member to be the Director of Business,
Economic Development, and Tourism, or the Director's designee;
(D) Inserting language that requires at least one member to represent a tourism-impacted entity;
(E) Clarifying
that, upon the occurrence of a vacancy of a member appointed by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, the President
of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
as appropriate, shall appoint a member to
fulfill those positions, rather than submitting nominees; and
(4) Requiring
the Authority's Board of Directors to submit a nominee to the Governor, who
shall:
(A) Transmit a Governors' message with the name of the
nominee to the Senate within ten days of receipt; and
(B) Appoint
the nominee to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Authority,
subject to the advice and consent of the Senate,
rather than requiring the Governor,
with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint one person to serve as
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Authority;
(5) Requiring
the Authority's President and Chief Executive Officer to report to the Governor,
notwithstanding any law to the contrary;
(6) Requiring
the Authority's Board of Directors to set, pursuant to written contract, the
length of the President and Chief Executive Officer's term of service;
(7) Making it effective upon
its approval; and
(8) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of
clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1571, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1571, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
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ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
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____________________________ ADRIAN K. TAM Co-Chair |
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____________________________ LYNN DECOITE Chair |
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____________________________ JACKSON D. SAYAMA Co-Chair |
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____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO Co-Chair |
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____________________________ SHIRLEY ANN TEMPLO Co-Chair |
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____________________________ GLENN WAKAI Co-Chair |
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