STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2408

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2219

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2219 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC ACCESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Capitol Visitor Center within the State Capitol to be maintained and operated by the Legislature Reference Bureau;

(2) Require the Joint Legislative Access Committee to review the operations of the Capitol Visitor Center and recommend policies to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the establishment and operation of the Capitol Visitor Center.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the Capitol District located in Honolulu is a historical, cultural, educational, and recreational hub for visitors and residents, and the Capitol building itself functions as an access point for citizens to interact with their government and as a historical treasure in its own right. Your Committee further finds that a visitor center located in the State Capitol would serve as a resource for informing and educating visitors about the history and legacy of the State Capitol. This measure establishes a Capitol Visitor Center within the State Capitol to be operated by the Legislative Reference Bureau to increase public access to the State and its Capitol.

Your Committee acknowledges the testimony by the Legislative Reference Bureau expressing concerns that the Bureau does not have the expertise, experience, staffing, or the space to create, manage, or operate a Capitol Visitor Center. Your Committee also notes that legislation similar to this measure has been considered multiple times in past legislative sessions but has failed to be enacted due to various hurdles. As such, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and replacing them with provisions establishing a working group to conduct stakeholder consultation and coordinated planning for the potential establishment of a Capitol Visitor Center. Your Committee finds that by establishing a working group the proposed Capitol Visitor Center can be discussed and implemented in a structured and feasible manner, addressing deficiencies in prior efforts that were unsuccessful due to insufficient planning and interagency coordination.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended the measure by:

(1) Deleting sections 1 through 6 of this measure that would have established a Capitol Visitor Center, required the Joint Legislative Access Committee to review the operation of the Center and recommend policies, required the Legislative Reference Bureau to maintain and operate the Center, and appropriated funds for the establishment and operations of the Center;

(2) Inserting language that establishes a working group to study the feasibility of establishing a Capitol Visitor Center and submit a report to the Legislature before the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

(3) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2525, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2219, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2219, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

________________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair