THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1063

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the department of Native Hawaiian health, as part of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine, completed a two-year study entitled "Assessment and Priorities for Health and Well-Being in Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Peoples".  The study's findings were presented to a joint legislative committee on September 23, 2013, along with recommendations and priorities to improve the health and well‑being of the State's indigenous and Pacific Islander populations.  The study also detailed successful programs that have led to reduced risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, and these programs include weight and blood pressure management.

     The legislature further finds that pursuant to S.R. No. 60, S.D. 1, regular session of 2014, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine convened a Native Hawaiian health task force to formulate policies and procedures to eliminate the disproportionate impact of the social determinants of health and chronic disease on all individuals, with a particular focus on Native Hawaiians and other Pacific peoples.  The task force used nā pou kihi, or the corner posts of a home, as a metaphor to create a cultural framework for its findings and recommendations.  The four nā pou kihi are:

     (1)  Ke ao ōiwi:  Native Hawaiian social and cultural space associated with health and well being;

     (2)  Ka mālama nohona:  The quality of the environments where Native Hawaiians live, work, learn, play, and age that affect health and well being;

     (3)  Ka hana pono:  Lifestyle choices and aspirations as Native Hawaiians striving for optimal health and well being; and

     (4)  Ka wai ola:  Achieving social justice through educational achievement and economic success for Native Hawaiians.

The legislature finds a reliable source of financial support is necessary to improve the community infrastructure of Native Hawaiian communities in line with the nā pou kihi framework.

     The purpose of this Act is to reallocate $1,000,000 of transient accommodations tax revenue from the operation of a Hawaiian center and museum of Hawaiian music and dance to Native Hawaiian community enhancement purposes.

     SECTION 2.  Section 237D-6.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  Revenues collected under this chapter shall be distributed in the following priority, with the excess revenues to be deposited into the general fund:

     (1)  $1,500,000 shall be allocated to the Turtle Bay conservation easement special fund beginning July 1, 2015, for the reimbursement to the state general fund of debt service on reimbursable general obligation bonds, including ongoing expenses related to the issuance of the bonds, the proceeds of which were used to acquire the conservation easement and other real property interests in Turtle Bay, Oahu, for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of natural resources important to the State, until the bonds are fully amortized;

     (2)  $26,500,000 shall be allocated to the convention center enterprise special fund established under section 201B-8;

     (3)  $82,000,000 shall be allocated to the tourism special fund established under section 201B-11; provided that:

         (A)  Beginning on July 1, 2012, and ending on June 30, 2015, $2,000,000 shall be expended from the tourism special fund for development and implementation of initiatives to take advantage of expanded visa programs and increased travel opportunities for international visitors to Hawaii;

         (B)  Of the $82,000,000 allocated:

              (i)  $1,000,000 shall be allocated [for the operation of a Hawaiian center and the museum of Hawaiian music and dance at the Hawaii convention center; and] to improve community infrastructure of Native Hawaiian communities, including parks and open spaces in the three predominantly Native Hawaiian communities of Waianae, Waimanalo, and Molokai; provided that the improvements include creating safe spaces for health promotion activities and physical activity, and creating a Native Hawaiian sense of place;

             (ii)  0.5 per cent of the $82,000,000 shall be transferred to a sub-account in the tourism special fund to provide funding for a safety and security budget, in accordance with the Hawaii tourism strategic plan 2005-2015; and

         (C)  Of the revenues remaining in the tourism special fund after revenues have been deposited as provided in this paragraph and except for any sum authorized by the legislature for expenditure from revenues subject to this paragraph, beginning July 1, 2007, funds shall be deposited into the tourism emergency special fund, established in section 201B-10, in a manner sufficient to maintain a fund balance of $5,000,000 in the tourism emergency special fund;

     (4)  $103,000,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015, $103,000,000 for fiscal year 2015-2016, $103,000,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017, and $93,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter shall be allocated as follows:  Kauai county shall receive 14.5 per cent, Hawaii county shall receive 18.6 per cent, city and county of Honolulu shall receive 44.1 per cent, and Maui county shall receive 22.8 per cent; provided that commencing with fiscal year 2018-2019, a sum that represents the difference between a county public employer's annual required contribution for the separate trust fund established under section 87A-42 and the amount of the county public employer's contributions into that trust fund shall be retained by the state director of finance and deposited to the credit of the county public employer's annual required contribution into that trust fund in each fiscal year, as provided in section 87A-42, if the respective county fails to remit the total amount of the county's required annual contributions, as required under section 87A-43; and

     (5)  $3,000,000 shall be allocated to the special land and development fund established under section 171-19; provided that the allocation shall be expended in accordance with the Hawaii tourism authority strategic plan for:

         (A)  The protection, preservation, maintenance, and enhancement of natural resources, including beaches, important to the visitor industry;

         (B)  Planning, construction, and repair of facilities; and

         (C)  Operation and maintenance costs of public lands, including beaches, connected with enhancing the visitor experience.

     All transient accommodations taxes shall be paid into the state treasury each month within ten days after collection and shall be kept by the state director of finance in special accounts for distribution as provided in this subsection.

     As used in this subsection, "fiscal year" means the twelve-month period beginning on July 1 of a calendar year and ending on June 30 of the following calendar year."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

TAT Revenues; Native Hawaiian Community Enhancement

 

Description:

Reallocates $1,000,000 from the transient accommodations tax revenues for the operation of a Hawaiian center and the museum of Hawaiian music and dance at the Hawaii convention center to improving community infrastructure of Native Hawaiian communities, including parks and open spaces in the three predominantly Native Hawaiian communities of Waianae, Waimanalo, and Molokai; provided that the improvements include creating safe space for health promotion activities and physical activity, and creating a Native Hawaiian sense of place.

 

 

 

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