STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2520

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3022

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 Water, Land, Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.B. No. 3022 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CULTURE AND ARTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the Hawaii Leadership Awards Program to honor individuals who have made considerable and outstanding contributions to the State and serve as inspirations to others.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony.

Your Committee finds that the Aloha Order of Merit was established to recognize state individuals who made significant contributions to, and achieved national or international recognition in, various fields. Your Committee also finds that many exceptional and notable individuals are deserving of state recognition for their significant contributions to a certain field within the State. This measure will appropriately honor those individuals who have significantly impacted the State and inspire further generations to merit similar recognition.

Your Committee acknowledges the concern raised in testimony by the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women that the measure may inadvertently perpetuate existing disparities in the visibility and acknowledgement of historically underrepresented groups. Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to address this concern.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the order of award categories to the following: arts, business and labor, entertainment, food and drink, literature, music, sports, science, community engagement, public service, friend of Hawaii, and profile in courage;

(2) Clarifying that an individual may receive only one award per year, rather than one award per category per year;

(3) Specifying that the Hawaii Leadership Awards Selection Committee shall ensure visibility and fair and equitable consideration for all nominees in its evaluation and selection process; and

(4) 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 Water, Land, Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3022, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3022, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts,

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair