Bill > HB2438

This bill establishes the Hawaii Cultural Trust within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide stable funding for arts, culture, and heritage organizations in Hawaii. The Trust will be administered by a coordinator and advised by a committee composed of representatives from cultural organizations and practitioners. A dedicated trust account will receive funds from various sources, including legislative appropriations, grants, private donations, and revenue from special number plates for motor vehicles. These funds will be split equally between the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts for arts programs and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for cultural preservation and education. To encourage contributions, the bill also creates an income tax credit for individuals and corporations donating to the Hawaii Cultural Trust or qualified Hawaii cultural organizations, with specific limits on the credit amount. Qualified organizations must be registered nonprofits with a primary purpose of advancing arts, Native Hawaiian culture, history, heritage, or humanities. The bill also authorizes the creation of special number plates to support the Trust, with a portion of the fees going to the trust account, and clarifies that the Hawaii Cultural Trust coordinator will be exempt from civil service rules. The tax credit provision will apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026, while the rest of the bill takes effect on July 1, 3000.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2438&year=2026