STAND. COM. REP. NO. 509

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1784

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1784 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish an Office of International Affairs to, among other things, develop policies that promote and strengthen relations with other countries in the areas of international business, economy, culture and the arts.

The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) opposed this measure.

Upon consideration of recommendations offered during the public hearing, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting provisions that require DBEDT to convene a task force to:

(A) Address the question of Hawaii's role in international affairs; and

(B) Recommend to the Legislature an organizational structure for an "Office of International Affairs" or such other structure that the task force may recommend;

and

(2) Appropriating $30,000 for costs incurred by the task force in carrying out its duties.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1784, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1784, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on International Affairs,

 

____________________________

HELÉNE H. HALE, Chair