HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

220

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the sister-state committee to evaluate and develop recommendations for the initiation of sister state or province relationships with bruyeres, france.

 

 


     WHEREAS, pursuant to the enactment of Act 150, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006 (Act 150), the Hawaii Sister State Committee (Committee) was established within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for administrative purposes, to advise the Governor and the Legislature on matters relating to sister state or province relations and relations, in general, between the State and the states or provinces of foreign countries; and

 

     WHEREAS, codified in part as Section 229-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Act 150 requires the Committee to "evaluate and develop recommendations for the initiation of all sister state or province relationships and forward its recommendation to the Legislature; and

 

     WHEREAS, Act 150 also provides that the Legislature, if it so chooses, shall implement the recommendations [of the Committee] to initiate a sister state or province relationship by either adopting a concurrent resolution or by enacting session law to that effect; and

 

     WHEREAS, a strong bond of friendship has existed between the people of Bruyeres, France, and the people of Hawaii since 1944; and

 

     WHEREAS, this bond of friendship has its roots in the liberation of Bruyeres from Nazi rule by the American forces during World War II; and

 

     WHEREAS, many sons of Hawaii, serving with the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Regiment, sacrificed their lives as members of this liberating force; and

     WHEREAS, the people of Bruyeres have held annual memorial services to honor the liberators who fought so well in the cause of freedom and peace; and

 

     WHEREAS, the people of Bruyeres have suggested a further means of strengthening this bond of friendship by entering into a sister city relationship with the City and County of Honolulu; and

 

     WHEREAS, through the adoption of Resolution No. 342 by the Honolulu City Council on November 1, 1960, this sister city relationship has been in existence for the past forty-nine years; and

 

     WHEREAS, as part of the Committee's deliberation on evaluating the feasibility of extending sister state and province relationships with similar governmental or political subdivisions of foreign nations, the Legislature believes it is fitting for the Committee to consider extending this relationship with Bruyeres, France; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature requests the Committee to evaluate the feasibility of extending sister state or province relationship with Bruyeres, France; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Committee report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature at least twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Chair of the Hawaii Sister State Committee, and the Mayor of the City of Bruyeres, France.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Requests the Hawaii Sister State Committee to evaluate the feasibility of extending sister state or province relationship with Bruyeres, France