STAND. COM. REP. NO.1393

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 1100

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1100, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BUDGET OF THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' operating budget for fiscal biennium 2001-2003.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs recently has undergone extensive reorganization, reducing eleven program systems to four. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has operated under this new organization since November, 2000. Your Committee understands that although this transition may have disrupted the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' operations at the time, it would be disruptive and counterproductive for the agency to operate under its previous program structure. Your Committee has considered the recent reorganization and has restructured the agency's programs to more accurately reflect the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' current structure and operations.

Your Committee recognizes that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs can serve Hawaiians by collecting data and information on the Hawaiian population. Your Committee is providing a new database system to collect and analyze demographic information relating to Hawaiians. Presently, there is no central database to provide detailed statistics concerning Hawaiians. With the implementation of this database, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs can continue to fulfill its responsibility to function as a clearinghouse of information for Hawaiians. This database also will be useful to other agencies and organizations serving Hawaiians.

Your Committee has carefully reviewed and analyzed the funding adjustments requested by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and has amended the bill by:

(1) Appropriating an additional $100,000 in general funds for fiscal year 2001-2002 to implement the collection and establishment of a database of information on the Hawaiian population;

(2) Appropriating an additional $13,000 in general funds for fiscal year 2002-2003 for the maintenance of the database; and

(3) Making technical amendments.

In all, your Committee is appropriating $2,600,000 in general funds and $4,400,000 in trust fund expenditures to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for fiscal year 2001-2002 and $2,500,000 in general funds and $4,000,000 in trust fund expenditures for fiscal year 2002-2003.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1100, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1100, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair