STAND. COM. REP. NO.  579

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1627

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1627, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to establish procedures for the recognition by the State of a first nation government.

 

     The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and Aha Kiole Advisory Committee supported this bill.  The Department of Hawaiian Homelands supported the intent of this measure.  The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and several concerned individuals opposed this bill.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and a concerned individual provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Removing provisions that:

 

          (A)  Require the Governor to establish and appoint a nine-member commission;

 

          (B)  Proposed the creation of a roll of qualified Native Hawaiian constituents; and

 

          (C)  Delineated a process of reorganization and ratification of governing documents and elections;

 

     (2)  Deleting the definitions of "commission" and "council";

 

     (3)  Requiring the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to submit proposed legislation no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2012 legislative session relating to a process for the certification of organic documents of a first nation government and approval of those documents by the governor; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1627, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1627, H.D. 2.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Chair