STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1260

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 960

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 960, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to broaden the use of the tourism emergency trust fund to include incidents related to a national or global economic crisis.

 

The measure also transfers tourism research and statistics duties presently performed by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

 

     Your Committee received four written comments on this measure.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that tourism is the primary economic engine that drives the State's economy.  Recently, the national and global economic crisis has lead to the cancellation of business conventions, corporate retreats, business travel, and family vacations to the State.  These cancellations are evidenced by an overall drop in statewide visitor arrivals that is predicted to get worse before it gets better.

 

Your Committee finds that this measure will enable the Hawaii Tourism Authority to react in a timely manner to address a national or global economic crisis and will strengthen the State's efforts to eliminate or mitigate the effects of such a crisis.

 

     Your Committee also finds that timely and accurate tourism related research, including compilation and analysis of data, is important for the development and implementation of an effective visitor industry program.  Your Committee believes that joining tourism research and statistical data with the market intelligence research of various major market areas under one agency will allow the State to efficiently address the volatility in the tourism market.

 

     Your Committee has amended the measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of consistency and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 960, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 960, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair