STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1112-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1615

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1615, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Declare that the State is an ocean cluster;

(2) Establish the Office of Marine Affairs, to be governed by the Marine Affairs Task Force, within the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation and a marine affairs declaration of intent;

(3) Establish and appropriate funds for a Marine Affairs Coordinator position;

(4) Repealing the powers and duties of the Department of Business Economic Development, and Tourism in marine affairs;

(5) Transfer the functions of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Marine Affairs to the Office of Marine Affairs; and

(6) Appropriate funds for the Office of Marine Affairs to procure the services of a consultant to support the marine affairs declaration of intent.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor; Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation; Office of Economic Revitalization of the City and County of Honolulu; Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi; Marine Genetics; Small Kine Farm; Ai.Fish; WaiHome LLC; Blue Startups; Hawaiʻi Angels; Kupu Place Aquaponics LLC; Voltage Vessels; Hohonu; Privateer Space Inc.; Namaka Algae, Inc.; Hawaii Ocean Power Solutions LLC; Essential Leap LLC; NeuroMuse LLC; and seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 H.B. No. 1615, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1615, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair