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Committee approves bill to allow state funding for East–West Center with amendments
Summary
The House Committee on Culture, Arts & International Affairs voted to pass House Bill 1025 with amendments to allow the East–West Center to receive state funds; attorney general comments will be incorporated and the committee set an unusual effective date in the amendment language.
The House Committee on Culture, Arts & International Affairs voted Friday to pass House Bill 1025 with amendments to allow the East–West Center to receive state funds, Chair Capella said during the committee’s Feb. 7 decision meeting in Conference Room 309.
The measure would permit the East–West Center, which the committee described as having served for more than 60 years as a diplomatic and research resource for Hawai‘i, the United States and the Indo‑Pacific region, to receive state funding. Committee leadership said they would incorporate comments from the Department of the Attorney General and add a preamble explaining legislative intent.
Supporters who testified on the bill included Randall Nishiyama from the Department of the Attorney General, who submitted written comments and made staff available to answer questions, and Zachary Espino, who testified on behalf of East–West Center interim president Dr. James K. Scott. Espino said the center supports the measure and stood on written testimony.
At the decision meeting the chair said the committee’s recommendation was to pass HB 1025 with amendments, including adding a preamble and setting the measure’s effective date to July 1, 3000, and that the department of the attorney general’s comments would be taken into account. Representative Garrett called the vote. The roll call showed: Chair Capella — aye; Representative Garrett — aye; Representative Lee — aye; Representative Sayama — aye. Vice Chair Kong and Representative Reyes Oda were recorded as excused. The chair announced that the recommendation was adopted.
The committee did not identify a formal mover or seconder on the record for the motion to adopt the chair’s recommendation. The committee discussion on the measure was brief and focused on incorporating the attorney general’s written comments into the amendment package.
With the committee’s recommendation adopted, the bill will proceed according to the legislature’s bill-processing rules and any subsequent floor action.
