STAND. COM. REP. NO.  543

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1580

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1580 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to begin implementation of the provisions of section 201.6 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, relating to community-based governance on Hawaiian home lands by creating a Hawaiian Homestead Community Self-governance Task Force (Task Force).

 

     Specifically, this bill requires the Task Force to report to the 2008 Legislature on the steps necessary for the State to delegate to a democratically-elected Hawaiian homestead community self-governance organization, authority relating to the administration of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, including:

 

(1) The administrative powers and responsibilities to be delegated;

 

(2) Criteria to determine the boundaries and location of a Hawaiian homestead community;

 

(3) Criteria for eligibility to delegate authority to a self-governance organization;

 

(4) Methods to establish a self-governance organization that meets the criteria for delegation; and

 

(5) The contractual requirements necessary to ensure high quality services by the self-governance organization.

 

This bill also appropriates funds from the Native Hawaiian Rehabilitation Fund for this purpose.

 

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Ahupua'a o Molokai, State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, and a beneficiary of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands supported the intent of this measure.  The Waianae Kai Homestead Association, Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead Community Association, and a beneficiary of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

 

     Your Committee notes that a suggestion was made that the composition of board members should be limited as follows to better represent the beneficiaries of the trust:

 

(1) The chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;

 

(2) The chairperson of the State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Association (to serve as the chairperson of the Task Force);

 

(3) The chairperson of Hui Kako'o Aina Hoopulapula; and

 

(4) The president of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

 

     Your Committee also notes that it is the intent of your Committee to authorize the Task Force to create smaller working groups to target specific issues after its creation.

 


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1580, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1580, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair