SB1571 Summary

• Exempts all positions filled by the Hawaii Tourism Authority from state civil service law requirements.

• Changes the Hawaii Tourism Authority Board of Directors from a policy-making board to an advisory board, with one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

• Requires at least one Board member to represent a tourism-impacted entity and removes the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism as an automatic Board member.

• Makes the President and CEO position subject to Senate confirmation and requires the CEO to report directly to the Governor, with employment terms set by written contract.

• Amends the definition of "convention center facility" to clarify it must reflect a "Hawaii sense of place" and expands the Hawaii Tourism Authority's powers to focus on Hawaiian cultural integrity, regenerative tourism practices, and community partnerships.