§201B-9 Tourism emergency. (a) If the board determines that the occurrence of a world conflict, terrorist threat, national or global economic crisis, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other catastrophic event adversely affects Hawaii's tourism industry by resulting in a substantial interruption in the commerce of the State and adversely affecting the welfare of its people, the board shall submit a request to the governor to declare that a tourism emergency exists.
(b) Upon declaration by the governor that a tourism emergency exists pursuant to subsection (a), the authority shall develop and implement measures to respond to the tourism emergency, including providing assistance to tourists during the emergency; provided that any tourism emergency response measure implemented pursuant to this subsection shall not include any provision that would adversely affect the organized labor force in tourism-related industries. With respect to a national or global economic crisis only, in addition to the governor's declaration of the existence of a tourism emergency, no action in response to the tourism emergency declaration may be taken by the authority without the governor's express approval. [L 2007, c 201, pt of §1; am L Sp 2009, c 5, §8]