Finance Committee advances bill to allow stadium and convention-center naming rights after debate

The House Committee on Finance advanced Senate Bill 15‑71 SD2 HD2 — a measure that would enable the State to accept and manage corporate naming-rights agreements for public venues such as Aloha Stadium and the Hawaii Convention Center — after extensive testimony and technical amendments.

Supporters said naming-rights revenue could provide a non‑taxpayer funding stream for large public venues. Caroline Anderson, interim president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, told the committee the authority “stands on our written comments” and introduced the body’s newly elected board chair to the meeting.

Opponents and commenters raised cultural, legal and fiscal concerns. Winston Welch, testifying on Zoom for an opposition group, said corporate naming would cause “an incumbent loss of cultural and historic identity” and argued Hawaii’s long‑standing anti‑advertising norms weigh against the proposal. Dozens of community members submitted written opposition.

The Office of the Attorney General submitted written comments saying parts of the bill risk violating the state constitution’s single‑subject rule; Deputy Attorney General Ian Robertson said the office recommended deleting language unrelated to naming rights to avoid constitutional challenge. The Department of Budget and Finance warned that naming agreements can trigger private‑use issues for facilities financed with tax‑exempt bonds and could jeopardize bond interest exemptions unless arrangements were carefully structured.

Committee members amended the measure in committee to make clarifying and technical changes and to refine implementation language before moving it to the floor. The committee’s recommendation was recorded as “pass with amendments.”

What the bill would do: The measure establishes statutory authority for a naming‑rights program and a special fund to receive revenue from naming agreements, and directs the proceeds to a stadium development special fund (or similar instrument) for facility upkeep and related costs. The committee adopted cleanup language intended to narrow or clarify provisions the Attorney General flagged as potentially problematic.

Why it mattered: Supporters framed the bill as a way to reduce pressure on general‑fund dollars while opponents warned that cultural preservation, oversight and potential conflicts with federal tax rules must be resolved before authorizing broad naming rights. The Department of Budget and Finance specifically flagged the convention center, which has outstanding tax‑exempt bond financing, as potentially constrained from entering private‑use arrangements without losing tax benefits.

Next steps: The committee adopted the recommendation and forwarded the bill with amendments. Conference negotiations and the Attorney General’s suggested deletions will be available to the reporting committees; the committee said the policy and bond‑use issues should be addressed before final enactment.

Votes and action: The committee’s recommendation was recorded as “recommendation to pass with amendments.”

Ending: Lawmakers and advocates said they expect the bill to be further revised in conference to address the Attorney General and Budget and Finance concerns, particularly the interaction with tax‑exempt financing and protections for Hawaiian place names.