STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1632

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.C.R. No. 178

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 178 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO ESTABLISH A 2023 ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION HAWAII DELEGATION TEAM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2023 ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION EVENTS IN SEATTLE AND SAN FRANCISCO,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Governor to establish a 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Hawaii Delegation Team to participate in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation events in Seattle, Washington and San Francisco, California.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Hawaii Tourism Authority.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 that aims to create greater prosperity by promoting sustainable, innovative, and secure growth and accelerating regional economic integration.  Presently, APEC is the only international intergovernmental grouping in the world committed to reducing barriers to trade and investment without requiring its members to enter into legally binding obligations.  For 2023, APEC events will be held in Seattle, Washington, to host the APEC Ministerial and United States Senior Official Meetings, and in San Francisco, California, to host the summit meetings.

 

     Your Committee further finds that the State is actively seeking to expand its international ties and has an abiding interest in developing friendship, goodwill, and economic and educational relations between the people of Hawaii and the people of Asia-Pacific regional economies.  As a major gathering place for the Asia-Pacific region, Hawaii serves as a bridge between the United States and its regional partners.  Participation in the 2023 APEC events will allow the State to expand its international ties and further develop connections in the Asia-Pacific region to provide economic prosperity for Hawaii's people.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Encouraging local companies and industry partners to participate in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation events in Seattle and San Francisco;

 

     (2)  Deleting language that would have:

 

          (A)  Requested the 2023 APEC Hawaii delegation team to participate in various activities at the 2023 APEC Events;

 

          (B)  Requested the East-West Center of Hawaii to coordinate with Native Hawaiians and South Pacific Islanders to participate during the APEC Ministerial and United States Senior Official meetings in Seattle in August, 2023;

 

          (C)  Requested the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to coordinate with the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; and neighbor island chambers of commerce to recommend trade show participants from Hawaii to be included in the APEC Hawaii delegation team; and

 

          (D)  Requested the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii to work closely with ethnic chambers of commerce to ensure that ethnic chambers of commerce in Hawaii receive equal representation and may voice concerns;

 

     (3)  Requesting the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to initiate plans to participate in the 2023 APEC Events if sufficient interest is generated for participation;

 

     (4)  Deleting the President of the United States, Governor, Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, President of the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii, and Executive Director of Chamber of Commerce Hawaii from the list of recipients of certified copies;

 

     (5)  Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose; and

 

     (6)  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 Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 178, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 178, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair