HB 1194 Summary

• Establishes the Hawaii Economic Development District Planning Organization within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, attached to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, to serve as the district organization for implementing the U.S. Economic Development Administration-approved comprehensive economic development strategy.

• Creates a 15-member governing board comprising the director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (chair), the four county mayors, county economic development board executive directors, county workforce development board representatives, the University of Hawaii president, and a labor organization representative appointed by the governor.

• Directs the organization to develop multi-level partnerships promoting intra-district cooperation and public investment, assist organizations with funding applications, implement the federal comprehensive economic development strategy, and report annually on updates to the strategy.

• Establishes full-time equivalent temporary economic development planning analyst positions exempt from civil service and union requirements, funded with general revenues.

• Appropriates unspecified general fund amounts for fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 to support the organization's operations and staffing; effective July 1, 2050.