STAND. COM. REP. NO.  115

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 914

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 914 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY RELATING TO COVID-19 EXPENDITURES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide an emergency appropriation in fiscal year 2020-2021 to the Hawaii Tourism Authority for programs and activities related to COVID-19 response.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Tourism Authority assisted with various COVID-19 related response efforts, including airport support, a call center to check on quarantined travelers, Hotels for Heroes, a web application for travelers to self-report and for data processing, and supplies.  The Hawaii Tourism Authority has spent nearly $3,000,000 on these missions to date, for which it has not been reimbursed by the State.


     Your Committee also finds that the Hawaii Tourism Authority intends to use $2,500,000 of the funding provided in this measure to implement branding strategies in international markets to promote Hawaii as a safe destination.  In addition, your Committee is informed that governmental entities have provided the Hawaii Convention Center with funding for the use of the facility, at cost, for unemployment insurance processing and contact tracing activities.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing language which earmarked $3,000,000 of the appropriation to be used to reimburse the Hawaii Convention Center and $2,500,000 to be used for costs related to restarting airlift from Asia and Oceania to Hawaii; and

 

     (2)  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 Labor & Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 914, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 914, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Tourism,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Chair