STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1392

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1571

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1571, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOURISM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Exclude all positions within the Hawaii Tourism Authority from civil service law;

(2) Amend the definition of "convention center facility" or "convention center" to clarify that the facilities must reflect a "Hawaii" sense of place rather than a "Hawaiian" sense of place;

(3) Designate the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority as an advisory board; and

(4) Repeal the statutory limitation on when a former board member of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau can serve on the Hawaii Tourism Authority's Board of Directors.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Your Committee finds that many departments and agencies in the State are facing staffing shortages. Exempting all positions within the Hawaii Tourism Authority from civil service law provides a method for the Hawaii Tourism Authority to attract qualified individuals to apply to its positions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Reverting the proposed amendment to the statutory definition of "convention center facility" or "convention center" back to existing law to reflect a "Hawaiian sense of place" rather than a "Hawaii sense of place";

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1571, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1571, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair