Bill Text: HI HR150 | 2021 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requesting The Hawaii Sister-state Committee To Evaluate And Develop Recommendations For The Initiation Of A Sister-state Relationship With The City Of Auckland, New Zealand.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-24 - Report adopted. referred to the committee(s) on CPC as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). [HR150 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2021-HR150-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
150 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the State actively seeks to expand its international ties and has an abiding interest in developing goodwill, friendship, and economic relations between the people of Hawaii and the people of many nations; and
WHEREAS, while Hawaii currently maintains eighteen sister-state relationships, none are with any cities or provinces in New Zealand; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii and New Zealand are part of the triangle of Polynesia, and the indigenous people of Hawaii and New Zealand share many cultural and language similarities; and
WHEREAS, collaboration with the many Maori and Polynesian cultural institutes in New Zealand would be culturally beneficial to Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, since 2014, Hawaii has participated in the Pasifika Festival, an annual Pacific Islands-themed festival typically held in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand; and
WHEREAS, New Zealand is consistently ranked among the top twenty countries for quality of education by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and
WHEREAS, as an island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand faces some of the same geographic challenges as Hawaii and has taken steps in protecting its environment and expanding its economy; and
WHEREAS, establishing a relationship with New Zealand, which was the one of the first countries to crack down on COVID‑19 through extensive contact tracing and restrictions to ensure its employees return to work quickly, would be a boon to Hawaii's tourist economy; and
WHEREAS, a relationship between Hawaii and New Zealand would also be highly beneficial in expanding and diversifying Hawaii's film industry, enhancing Hawaii's educational quality and opportunities, developing and meeting Hawaii's environmental goals, and developing and bolstering Hawaii's exportable commodities; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to section 229-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Hawaii Sister-State Committee is tasked with evaluating and developing recommendations for the initiation of all sister-state relationships and forwarding its recommendations to the Legislature for implementation by either adoption of a concurrent resolution or enactment of session law to that effect; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, that the Hawaii Sister-State Committee is requested to evaluate and develop recommendations to initiate a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and the city of Auckland, New Zealand; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Sister-State committee report its findings and recommendations for further action related to initiating a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and the city of Auckland, New Zealand, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2022; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and Chairperson of the Hawaii Sister-State Committee.
Hawaii Sister-State Committee; Auckland, New Zealand; Sister-State Relationship
