STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1708

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1409

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1409, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAINING IN NATIVE HAWAIIAN RIGHTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Prohibit a newly appointed or reappointed council, board, and commission member from serving if the member has not completed, within the requisite time, the required training course related to native Hawaiian and Hawaiian traditional and customary rights, native Hawaiian and Hawaiian natural resource protection and access rights, and the public trust, including the State's trust responsibility;

 

     (2)  Require the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Department of Land and Natural Resources to compile an annual report of council, board, and commission members who have failed to complete their training course requirement; and

 

     (3)  Require the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to record the training courses and make the recordings available to those who were unable to attend the training course.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kuaāina Ulu Auamo, Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, and three individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1409, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair