CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. 88

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1462

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1462, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Adjust the compensation package of the Executive Director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA);

(2) Allow the HTA to appoint a sports coordinator;

(3) Exempt the HTA from chapters 38 and 40, Hawaii Revised Statutes, governing the deposits of public funds and audit and accounting procedures;

(4) Require the HTA to notify the Legislature of the execution of any contract or agreement of $25,000 and over;

(5) Allow the Executive Director to disburse funds from the convention center enterprise special fund and tourism special fund; and

(6) Require the HTA to engage a certified public accountant to conduct an annual audit of its financial transactions.

This measure is intended to enhance the operational effectiveness of the HTA and make it more financially accountable to the State. The sports coordinator would provide management services for all sporting events supported through the HTA, in recognition of sporting events as a viable and profitable tourist attraction.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Designating the existing sections 1 to 6 of this measure as part I;

(2) Adding a new section to part I to require the HTA to establish a Hawaii tourism registry, to enhance tourism promotion efforts and adding to the HTA's powers and duties, the authority to enter into agreements with Hawaii-based groups in the registry to market and promote Hawaii;

(3) Adding a part II to appropriate $8,000,000 to the HTA to enable the HTA to respond to unstable market conditions of world conflicts, terrorists threats, and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome and the resulting impact on the economy and the welfare of the people of Hawaii, and to strengthen the programs and operations of the HTA; allow the HTA to amend its existing contracts for this purpose; and require the HTA to report to the Legislature by January 15, 2004, on the details of how the funds were expended;

(4) Designating the Ramseyer and effective date sections as part III; and

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2003, and changing the statutory sections to be repealed and reenacted.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1462, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1462, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________

JERRY CHANG, Co-Chair

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair

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JON RIKI KARAMATSU, Co-Chair

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair