Bill > HB1860

This bill officially designates the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra as the "State of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra," acknowledging its significant cultural and educational contributions to the state, including free performances and educational programs. Importantly, it exempts state funds received by the orchestra from the requirements of chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which typically outlines specific standards for receiving state funds, ensuring that the orchestra can more readily access state funding for its general operating costs without these usual bureaucratic hurdles, though any sub-contracts it enters into will still be subject to these rules. The bill also mandates that the orchestra's president and chief executive officer must submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing how state funds were used, and it appropriates $500,000 for the orchestra's operating expenses, including maintenance and services provided to state agencies, with the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts overseeing the expenditure of these funds.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1860&year=2026