STAND. COM. REP. 2584

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2440

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2440 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify the definition of "family" for purposes of homestead leases to include biological, adopted, and hanai first cousins.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Hawaiian Political Action Council of Hawaii. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that there is a need to recognize the nature of the Hawaiian culture's extended family and relationships. Your Committee believes that this measure accommodates these practices.

Your Committee has amended this measure to remove the words: "biological, adopted, and hanai first." Thus, the amended portion of the measure now reads: "For homestead leases, "family" also includes cousins."

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2440, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2440, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair