Bill Text: HI SR78 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Requesting The Hawaii Sister-state Committee And Department Of Business, Economic Development, And Tourism To Evaluate The Sister-state Program And Make Recommendations To Improve The Capacity And Sustainability Of The Efforts To Promote Mutually Beneficial International Relationships.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-04-02 - Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1). [SR78 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2018-SR78-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	78
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting THE HAWAII SISTER-STATE COMMITTEE AND DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENt, AND TOURISM TO EVALUATE THE SISTER-STATE PROGRAM AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE EFFORTS TO PROMOTE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism's Sister-State Program dates back to 1981 with the establishment of the first sister-state relation between Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the State of Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii Sister-State Committee was established by Act 150, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, and administratively placed in the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and

 

     WHEREAS, under section 229-2(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Hawaii Sister-State Committee's purpose is "to advise the governor and the legislature on matters relating to sister-state or province relations and relations, in general, between the State and the states or provinces of foreign countries"; and

 

     WHEREAS, the sister-state program now includes seventeen formally established relations, including Greater China – Guangdong (1985), Hainan (1992), Taiwan (1993); Indonesia – Bali (2014); Japan – Fukuoka (1981), Okinawa (1985), Hiroshima (1997), Ehime (2003), Hokkaido (2017); Korea – Jeju (1986); Morocco – Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer (2011); Philippines – Ilocos Sur (1985), Cebu (1996), Pangasinan (2002), Ilocos Norte (2005), Isabela (2006); and Portugal – Azores Islands (1982); and the eighteenth relation awaiting the formal signing ceremony is with the State of Goa, Republic of India, as provided by Senate Concurrent Resolution 20, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, Regular Session of 2016; and

 

     WHEREAS, each of the relations requires the negotiation of a separate and unique agreement to define the extent of the relation between the foreign province or prefecture, and sometimes national, government and the State of Hawaii, presenting various challenges regarding national and state roles in international activities involving foreign policy, trade, travel, educational and cultural exchange, state financial resource commitments, and potential state liabilities; and

 

     WHEREAS, the role of the community and nongovernmental organizations in the establishment of formal sister-state relations and in providing the continuing capacity to sustain the various relations is necessary for their success and vitality, and over time some of the sister-state relations have devolved to having no activities; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, that the Hawaii Sister-State Committee and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, in consultation with the members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and House of Representatives Committee on Veterans, Military, and International Affairs, and Culture and the Arts, are requested to provide to the Legislature a report that evaluates the sister-state program and makes recommendations to improve the capacity and sustainability of the efforts to promote mutually beneficial international relationships to stimulate economic benefits, cultural and educational exchange, and goodwill; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report is requested to be delivered to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chair of the Hawaii Sister-State Committee; Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; President of the Senate; and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Requesting that the Hawaii Sister-State Committee and the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the Sister-State Program.