Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Third Special Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 10 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to stimulate our economy and encourage travel to Hawaii by appropriating $5,000,000 to market and promote the safety of and increased security at all state airports in Hawaii.

Your Committee notes that S.B. No. 10 is a companion measure to H.B. No. 10 which your Committee reported out earlier in an unamended form, and the contents of these bills are identical. On October 23, 2001, both the Senate and the House held an extensive public hearing on S.B. No. 10 and H.B. No. 10, at which time many citizens and organizations testified on these measures.

Your Committee finds that the State could increase security personnel and buy and install more security equipment, but if the traveling public is not made aware of these security measures, they may not believe, and therefore not use, the airports to travel to and from Hawaii. Airports remain the vital traveling link because Hawaii's cruise ships cannot carry the numbers of visitors that planes can and we are not accessible through national highways to other land masses.

Marketing Hawaii means marketing the travel destination as a safe place where everyone can feel secure and will therefore be willing to take that vacation to Hawaii or visit relatives on another island. That confidence can be promoted if the traveling public is educated in the ways the State has made the airports, airplanes, and surrounding facilities safe.

Every island has a stake in this outcome because tourists want to see everything from volcanoes to seashores. In a recent trip by the Governor to Japan, the primary concern was "how safe is Hawaii after September 11?" This is no trivial matter to any tourist. In times of insecurity the typical tourist may simply choose to stay close to home. This measure will help to instill confidence in the safety of Hawaii's airports to encourage visitors to come here.

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 S.B. No. 10 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.