Bill Text: HI HB642 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Hawaii Sports Task Force
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-12-18 - Carried over to 2014 Regular Session. [HB642 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2014-HB642-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
642 |
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TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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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, in 2007, sports was a $213,000,000,000 industry in the United States. 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 National Football League's Pro Bowl, Honolulu Marathon, Van's Triple Crown of Surfing, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Molokai Hoe, X-Terra World Championship, Ironman World Championship, EA Sports Maui Invitational, and the PGA Sony Open.
From 1979 to 2008, Hawaii hosted the highly-successful annual match-up known as the National Football League Pro Bowl, the all-star game currently played before the Super Bowl. Hawaii's streak of hosting thirty consecutive Pro Bowls at Aloha Stadium was broken in 2009 when the game moved to Miami, Florida. However, the Pro Bowl returned to Hawaii in 2010. In 2004, a National Football League-commissioned study found that the Pro Bowl was worth $12,100,000 in advertising for Hawaii. In addition, the 2003 Pro Bowl brought eighteen thousand visitors to Hawaii, which accounted for $28,070,000 in spending and $2,720,000 in state taxes, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. In Hawaii, the National Football League and its players donate to charities, visit at-risk and disabled youth, and support the military with special gatherings, among many other activities.
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, 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; and blends boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo, and other styles. Mixed 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 show in Hawaii, but the idea has been floated many times.
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 keep the Pro Bowl in Hawaii and to establish Hawaii as a host site for a National Football League preseason and regular-season game, a world-title soccer tournament at Aloha Stadium, and a mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament at Aloha Stadium.
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) Keep Hawaii as the host site for the National Football League's annual Pro Bowl; and
(2) Establish Hawaii as a host site for a National Football League preseason and regular-season game, a world-title soccer tournament at Aloha Stadium, and a mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament at Aloha Stadium.
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 June 30, 2016.
(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 chair of the Stadium Authority;
(3) The manager of Aloha Stadium;
(4) The comptroller;
(5) The president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii tourism authority;
(6) An individual representing the hotel and tourism industry in Hawaii, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(7) An individual representing the hotel and tourism industry in Hawaii, appointed by the president of the senate;
(8) Two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and
(9) Two members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate.
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) Keep Hawaii as the host site for the National Football League's annual Pro Bowl; and
(2) Establish Hawaii as a host site for a National Football League preseason and regular-season game, a world-title soccer tournament at Aloha Stadium, and a mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament at Aloha Stadium,
to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2013.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Hawaii Sports Task Force
Description:
Establishes the Hawaii Sports Task Force to plan and coordinate efforts to keep the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, and to secure Hawaii as a host site for a National Football League preseason and regular-season game, a world-title soccer tournament at Aloha Stadium, and a mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament, at Aloha Stadium.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
