STAND. COM. REP. NO.  395-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2229

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 2229 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPORTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to strengthen and diversify Hawaii's economy through the promotion of sporting events.  Specifically, this measure creates the Hawaii Sports Task Force to plan and coordinate efforts to:

 

     (1)  Keep the Pro Bowl in Hawaii; and

 

     (2)  Establish Aloha Stadium as a host site for a National Football League pre-season game, world-title soccer tournaments, mixed-martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments, and other international sporting events.

 

     The Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association testified in support of this measure.

 

     In 2007, sports was a $213,000,000,000 industry in the United States alone.  In addition to spectator fees, the sports industry generates revenue in advertising, endorsements, media broadcast rights, and licensing.  Hawaii currently hosts at least ten major national and international sporting events each year, including the National Football League's Pro Bowl, Honolulu Marathon, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Molokai Hoe, XTERRA World Championship, Ironman World Championship, Maui Jim Maui Invitational, and the PGA Sony Open.  These events not only generate millions of dollars for Hawaii's economy but also provide Hawaii's number one industry, tourism, with millions of dollars in free advertising.  Your Committee finds that there is significant room for growth in the Hawaii sports industry and that attracting more sporting events to Hawaii as a venue will increase visitor arrivals and expenditures and ultimately strengthen Hawaii's economy.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Broadening the scope of the Hawaii Sports Task Force to include establishing and maintaining Hawaii as a host site for other sporting and sports entertainment events statewide including but not limited to golf tournaments, kickboxing events, professional wrestling events, motor-cross races, tennis tournaments, beach volleyball tournaments, sailboat races, marathons, triathlons, and cycling events; and

 

     (2)  Including the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; the Mayors of the Counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii; a representative of the economic development board of each county; and a Hawaiian cultural specialist; or their designees, as members of the Hawaii Sports Task Force.

 

     Your Committee has also amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to February 19, 2022, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2229, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2229, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, Chair