STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1115

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 37

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 37 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS TO IMPROVE JOB CREATION AND BUSINESS CLIMATE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to take certain actions to improve job creation and the business climate statewide.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that over the past thirty years, Hawaii's economy has undergone significant diversification, especially in particular industries of innovation, creativity, and energy.  The unemployment rate in Hawaii is traditionally lower than the United States average by two percentage points.  Further, unemployment in Hawaii is among the ten lowest of all states nationwide. 

 

     However, your Committee finds that improvements in the areas of job creation and business climate are the exception, rather than the norm, for the general economy in the State.  Your Committee notes that there is a lack of standards for accountability and annual improvement within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) and its attached agencies.  More specifically, your Committee finds that the design and implementation of specific and clearly articulated goals for DBEDT and its attached agencies will ensure the fiscal accountability and transparency of DBEDT in the future.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting language to request the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide an oral presentation on the goals of the Department and its attached agencies, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2016;

 

     (2)  Inserting language to request the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to submit a report on the goals of the Department and its attached agencies, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2016; and

 

     (3)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 37, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 37, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Technology,

 

 

 

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair