CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. 144

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1300

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BUDGET OF THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this bill is to provide the necessary appropriations for the operation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) for fiscal biennium 2003-2005.

Your Committee on Conference recognizes OHA’s mandate under section 10-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to improve the conditions of both native Hawaiians and Hawaiians. It is clear that OHA must continue to provide services and create opportunities for the betterment of all Hawaiians.

 

In deliberating on this and other bills affecting the State's finances, your Committee on Conference seriously considered the impact of lower revenue projections and the certain negative economic consequences of the recent war in Iraq.

On January 8, 2003, OHA presented a biennium budget at a joint briefing of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and House Finance Committee. At this briefing, OHA requested a total of $2,532,647 in general funds and $4,029,866 in trust funds to be expended for fiscal biennium 2003-2005.

On January 16, 2003, OHA's Board of Trustees approved a second, revised fiscal biennium budget requesting $5,700,000 in general funds and $1,275,905 in trust funds for fiscal year 2003-2004 and $5,700,000 in general funds and $1,190,898 in trust funds for fiscal year 2004-2005. This revised biennium budget was then presented at a joint briefing of the House Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs Committee and Senate Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee. This budget was submitted with the understanding that all positions within OHA, with the exception of the Board of Trustees, would now be funded through the State general fund.

In considering OHA's second biennium budget, your Committee on Conference recognized that as a result of the current fiscal situation, all executive departments were undergoing reductions to their respective budgets, with many departments taking a 5 percent reduction in fiscal years 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005. Mindful of this situation, your Committee on Conference has amended this bill to reflect the original biennium budget presented by OHA on January 8, 2003.

On April 23, 2003, OHA submitted a request to the House Committee on Finance and Senate Committee on Ways and Means to revise provisos to reflect updated, anticipated expenditure levels and proper placement in programs. The request also sought adjustments to position counts and updated allocations to programs. In addition to providing OHA with its original biennium budget request as submitted on January 8th, your Committee on Conference recognized the importance of the adjustments and the reorganization of OHA and thus amended this bill to reflect the adjustments contained in the April 23rd request.

Upon consideration of OHA’s budget requests, its unique status as a government entity, and the State’s financial situation, your Committee on Conference has provided the resources OHA requires to fulfill its statutory mandates as reflected in OHA’s original fiscal biennium budget request.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Co-Chair

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Co-Chair

____________________________

EZRA KANOHO, Co-Chair