HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

134

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to sports.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that, according to Forbes, the sports market in North America was worth $60,500,000,000 in 2014 and is expected to reach $73,500,000,000 by 2019.  In addition to spectator fees, the sports industry generates revenue in advertising, endorsements, media broadcast rights, and licensing.  Hawaii hosts at least ten major national and international sporting events each year, including the Honolulu Marathon, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Molokai Hoe, XTERRA World Championship, Ironman World Championship, Maui Jim Maui Invitational, and the PGA Sony Open.

     From 1979 to 2008, Hawaii hosted the highly-successful annual all-star game currently played before the Super Bowl known as the National Football League Pro Bowl.  Hawaii's streak of hosting thirty consecutive Pro Bowls at Aloha Stadium was broken in 2009 when the game moved to Miami, Florida, but the Pro Bowl returned to Hawaii in 2010.  However, Hawaii lost the Pro Bowl for a second time in 2015 when the game moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and then again in 2016 when the game moved to Orlando, Florida, as part of a multi-year contract. 

     Soccer is also an attractive sport for Hawaii, which has several prime venues, including the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.  Soccer is played by more than two hundred fifty million players in more than two hundred countries, making it the world's most popular sport.  In 2008, Hawaii hosted the Pan-Pacific Championship competition, a combination of top teams in Major League Soccer, the J-League, and A-League.  The tournament's championship round at Aloha Stadium, which featured international soccer star David Beckham and Kamehameha Schools alumnus Brian Ching, drew 23,087 people, reportedly the largest soccer crowd ever to see a game in Hawaii.  Fueled by the appearance of Beckham, the tournament brought considerable media attention, including global telecasts, to Hawaii.

     Hawaii has also embraced mixed martial arts, a full-contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques; involves both standing and on-the-ground competition; and blends boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo, and other stylesMixed martial arts events have drawn capacity crowds to the Blaisdell Center Arena.  A Rumble on the Rock card featuring Hilo's BJ Penn against Rodrigo Gracie in 2004 drew a standing-room-only crowd of more than eight thousand.  The prestigious Ultimate Fighting Championship organization has never staged a match in Hawaii, but the idea has been floated many times.

     Numerous sporting events have also been held in Hawaii including golf tournaments, tennis tournaments, sailing championships, the IRONMAN world championship triathlon, Honolulu marathon, National Basketball Association games, minor league baseball, and professional wrestling.

     The legislature believes that there is significant room for growth in the Hawaii sports industry and that attracting more sporting events to use Hawaii as a venue will increase visitor arrivals and expenditures.

     The purpose of this Act is to create the Hawaii sports task force within the department of business, economic development, and tourism to plan and coordinate efforts to bring the Pro Bowl back to Hawaii and to establish Hawaii as a host site for a National Football League preseason game, world-title soccer tournaments at Aloha Stadium, and mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments at Aloha Stadium, as well as other sporting and sports entertainment events.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  There shall be established within the department of business, economic development, and tourism, the Hawaii sports task force.  The task force shall plan and coordinate efforts to:

     (1)  Reestablish Hawaii as the host site for the National Football League's annual Pro Bowl;

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

     (3)  Establish and maintain 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.

     The task force shall make recommendations to the legislature on addressing any issue the task force determines is feasible to address pursuant to this Act.

     (b)  The Hawaii sports task force shall meet quarterly at a place and time to be determined by the chair of the task force.  The task force shall be dissolved on January 5, 2018.

     (c)  The department of business, economic development, and tourism shall provide administrative support, including the recording of minutes, to the Hawaii sports task force.

     (d)  The director of business, economic development, and tourism shall be the chair of the Hawaii sports task force.  The task force shall include the following members or their designees:

     (1)  The governor;

     (2)  The mayor of the city and county of Honolulu, and mayors of the counties of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii;

     (3)  The chair of the stadium authority;

     (4)  The manager of Aloha Stadium;

     (5)  The comptroller;

     (6)  The president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii tourism authority;

     (7)  The president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii lodging and tourism association;

     (8)  An individual representing the hotel and tourism industry in Hawaii, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

     (9)  An individual representing the hotel and tourism industry in Hawaii, appointed by the president of the senate;

    (10)  One member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

    (11)  One member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate;

    (12)  A representative from the economic development board of each county; and

    (13)  A Hawaiian cultural specialist.

     The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, and all necessary expenses, including travel expenses, shall be paid by the agency, organization, or department to which the member belongs.  No member shall be made subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of that member's participation as a member of the task force.

     (e)  The Hawaii sports task force, in conjunction with the department of business, economic development, and tourism, shall submit a report with findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, if any, to:

     (1)  Reestablish Hawaii as the host site for the National Football League's annual Pro Bowl;

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

     (3)  Establish and maintain 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,

to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2018.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Hawaii Sports Task Force

 

Description:

Establishes the Hawaii Sports Task Force to plan and coordinate efforts to reestablish the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, to secure Hawaii as a host site for a National Football League preseason game, world-title soccer tournaments, mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments and other international sporting events at Aloha Stadium, and to secure and maintain Hawaii as a host site for other sporting and sports entertainment events statewide.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.