STAND. COM. REP. NO. 124
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2007
RE: H.B. No. 571
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Fourth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2007
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Tourism & Culture, to which was referred H.B. No. 571 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TOURISM,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to provide protection for our visitors in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency by appropriating funds from excess transient accommodations tax (TAT) revenue to allow the counties of Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, and the City and County of Honolulu to develop emergency response centers.
A member of the County Council of Maui supported this bill. The Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association supported the intent of this measure. The Hawaii Tourism Authority opposed this bill.
It is the intent of your Committee to fund the emergency response centers through the use of excess revenues from the TAT that lapse to the general fund as provided for in section 237D-6.5(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS). It is not the intent of your Committee to divert TAT revenue that is allocated, pursuant to section 237D-6.5(b), HRS, for other purposes, including the Tourism Special Fund.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2025, to encourage further discussion; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism & Culture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 571, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 571, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism & Culture,
|
|
|
____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair |
|
|
|
|