STAND. COM. REP. NO. 741

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 780

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 780 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT, 1920, AS AMENDED,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the group of successors that is authorized to inherit a lessee's interest under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders' Association, Inc. submitted testimony in support of this measure.

In 2002, the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was amended to allow lessees to transfer their leasehold interests to brothers and sisters who are at least one-quarter Hawaiian; however, the authority to designate a brother or sister who has at least one-quarter Hawaiian to inherit a lessee's leasehold interest was not amended. Currently, lessees may only designate a spouse, child, or grandchild who has at least one-quarter Hawaiian to inherit their leasehold interest. Thus, this measure amends the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to allow lessees to designate brothers or sisters who are at least one-quarter Hawaiian to inherit their leasehold interests.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 780 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair