Report Title:

DHHL; Commercial Projects; Ceded Lands; Public Land Trust; Management

 

Description:

Permits the DHHL to negotiate lease terms beyond sixty-five years, and provides a right of first refusal to previous lessees.  Prohibits the sale or transfer of ceded lands until the unrelinquished claims of the native Hawaiian people are resolved or reconciliation between the State and the native Hawaiian people is no longer supported, whichever occurs first; except in the following circumstances:  disposing of remnants, providing easements to public utilities and government agencies as provided by law, land exchanges as provided by law, dispositions that are a part of the ceded lands negotiations between OHA and the State, dispositions after December 31, 2014, that are approved by a 2/3 vote of both houses of the legislature, or when a compelling state interest for the disposition is established.  (SD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

921

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


PART I

     SECTION 1.  Title 2 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§      Commercial projects.  The department of Hawaiian home lands may negotiate lease terms, including initial lease terms and any extensions, beyond sixty-five years for commercial projects that have or shall be developed pursuant to a land disposition authorized under section 204(a)(2), or a project developer agreement authorized under section 220.5 in consultation with the beneficiaries of the trust.  Upon expiration of a lease, the lease may be offered for public auction as provided in this title; provided that the previous lease holder shall be offered the right of first refusal in accordance with the terms of the lease; and provided further that the lease holder shall agree to match at least the highest bid offered at the public auction.

     As used in this section, "consultation with the beneficiaries of the trust" means a process of engaging those beneficiaries, residing within the geographical area of the property subject to the lease, in a process that provides for the timely dissemination of information and the gathering of input, and allows for a reasonable time and reasonable access to relevant information for evaluation and consideration."

PART II

     SECTION 2.  Section 171-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§171-13  Disposition of public lands.  Except as otherwise provided by law and subject to other provisions of this chapter, the board may:

     (1)  Dispose of public land in fee simple, by lease, lease with option to purchase, license, or permit; provided that no disposition of public lands shall violate section 171-18; and

     (2)  Grant easement by direct negotiation or otherwise for particular purposes in perpetuity on [such] terms as may be set by the board, subject to reverter to the State upon termination or abandonment of the specific purpose for which it was granted, provided the sale price of [such] the easement shall be determined pursuant to section 171-17(b).

No person shall be eligible to purchase or lease public lands, or to be granted a license, permit, or easement covering public lands, who has had during the five years preceding the date of disposition a previous sale, lease, license, permit, or easement covering public lands cancelled for failure to satisfy the terms and conditions thereof."

     SECTION 3.  Section 171-18, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§171-18  Public land trust.  (a)  All funds derived from the sale or lease or other disposition of public lands shall be appropriated by the laws of the State; provided that all proceeds and income from the sale, lease, or other disposition of lands ceded to the United States by the Republic of Hawaii under the joint resolution of annexation, approved July 7, 1898 (30 Stat. 750), or acquired in exchange for lands so ceded, and returned to the State of Hawaii by virtue of section 5(b) of the Act of March 18, 1959 [(73 Stat. 6),] (73 Stat. 5) and all proceeds and income from the sale, lease, or other disposition of lands retained by the United States under sections 5(c) and 5(d) of the Act and later conveyed to the State under section 5(e) shall be held as a public trust for the support of the public schools and other public educational institutions, for the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians as defined in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended, for the development of farm and home ownership on as widespread a basis as possible, for the making of public improvements, and for the provision of lands for public use.

     (b)  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, all funds, proceeds, and income from the disposition of public trust lands as described in subsection (a), whether by sale, lease, or other disposition, shall be deposited into the public trust as set forth in subsection (a).  The funds, proceeds, and income shall be held and used solely for the acquisition of lands, to be set aside for the purposes set forth in subsection (a), with respect to lands ceded to the United States under the joint resolution of annexation or acquired in exchange for lands so ceded and returned to the State, and lands retained under section 5(c) and 5(d) of the Act of March 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 5), in order that the public land trust be maintained and not diminished.

     (c)  Except as provided in subsection (d), the State shall not dispose of any public trust lands in fee simple, including any disposition by lease with option to purchase; provided that the State may dispose of public trust lands upon one of the following occurrences:

     (1)  The claims of the native Hawaiian people, as defined in the United States Apology Resolution, Pub. L. No. 103-150 (1993), have been resolved; or

     (2)  The legislature finds pursuant to a concurrent resolution adopted by at least two-thirds majority vote of the members to which each house is entitled that the State no longer supports reconciliation between the State and the native Hawaiian people.

     (d)  The limitations on the sale and transfer of lands pursuant to subsection (c) shall not prevent the State from:

     (1)  Disposing of remnants, as defined in section 171-52;

     (2)  Providing easements to public utilities and government agencies pursuant to section 171-95;

     (3)  Engaging in land exchanges pursuant to sections 171-50 and 171-51;

     (4)  Disposing of public trust lands that are part of negotiations between the office of Hawaiian affairs and the State with respect to issues relating to the income and proceeds from the lands in the public trust;

     (5)  Disposing of public trust lands after December 31, 2014; provided that the disposition is approved by the legislature by concurrent resolution adopted by at least two-third majority vote of the members to which each house is entitled; and

     (6)  Disposing of public trust lands, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

         (A)  The State establishes a compelling state interest for the disposition;

         (B)  There is no reasonable alternate means to accomplish the compelling state interest;

         (C)  The disposition is limited to accomplishing the compelling state interest; and

         (D)  The disposition is approved by the legislature by concurrent resolution adopted by at least two-thirds majority vote of the members to which each house is entitled."

PART III

     SECTION 4.  The provisions of the amendments made by this Act to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended, are declared to be severable, and if any section, sentence, clause, or phrase, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held ineffective because there is a requirement of having the consent of the United States to take effect, then that portion only shall take effect upon the granting of consent by the United States and effectiveness of the remainder of these amendments or the application thereof shall not be affected.

     SECTION 5.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

     SECTION 6.  If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the Act, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Act are severable.

     SECTION 7.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 8.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2009.