HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	457
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to legalized gambling.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the State's education and law enforcement sectors are being negatively impacted by numerous teachers and police officers departing because of low pay, lack of affordable housing, the high cost of living, and the resulting need to work second jobs to feed their families.  The legislature further finds that a creative, innovative, and resourceful plan of action is needed to generate revenue for pay raises for teachers and police officers that will allow these individuals to remain in the State without sacrificing their quality of life.

     The purpose of this Act is to convene a task force within the department of business, economic development, and tourism to explore the feasibility of augmenting funding sources available to pay teachers and police officers through revenues generated by controlled legalized gambling, including offshore gambling and a state lottery.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  There is established a task force within the department of business, economic development, and tourism for administrative purposes to study the feasibility of authorizing controlled legalized gambling in the State, including offshore gambling and a state lottery system, as a means of generating revenue for pay raises for teachers and police officers.  The study shall include but not be limited to:

     (1)  Determining whether a public-private partnership could be developed to strategically place two gambling casinos in West Oahu without impacting the aloha spirit and causing Hawaii to be viewed as a gambling capital;

     (2)  Evaluating whether a club card system could be developed for controlled legalized gambling to ensure the two casinos in West Oahu are the only sanctioned gambling locations in the State apart from locations authorized, if any, for a state lottery or offshore gambling;

     (3)  Evaluating the feasibility of establishing other forms of legalized gambling in the State, including a state lottery or offshore gambling;

     (4)  Determining cost estimates and other implementation requirements associated with legalizing gambling in the State; and

     (5)  Examining any other relevant information deemed necessary by the director of business, economic development, and tourism.

     (b)  The task force shall consist of the following members:

     (1)  A member designated by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, who shall serve as the chairperson of the task force;

     (2)  The director of business, economic development, and tourism, or the director's designee;

     (3)  The superintendent of education, or the superintendent's designee;

     (4)  A representative from the Honolulu police department;

     (5)  A representative from the office of the mayor, city and county of Honolulu;

     (6)  A representative of the Hawaii State Teachers Association;

     (7)  A representative of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers;

     (8)  A representative of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.;

     (9)  A representative from each of five largest casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, as determined by the chairperson of the task force; and

    (10)  A representative of an area neighborhood board.

     (c)  Members of the task force shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred for service on the task force.  No member of the task force shall be made subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of that member's participation on the task force.

     (d)  The director of business, economic development, and tourism, in consultation with the task force, shall submit a report of the task force's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2022.

     (e)  The task force shall dissolve on June 30, 2022.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021-2022 to carry out the purposes of this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2021.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Controlled Legalized Gambling; Offshore Gambling; Lottery; Task Force; DBEDT; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes a task force within the department of business, economic development, and tourism to study and recommend to the legislature the feasibility of authorizing controlled legalized gambling in the State, including offshore gambling and a state lottery system, to generate revenues for pay raises for teachers and police officers.  Appropriates funds for the study.

 

 

 

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