STAND. COM. REP. NO.  487-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

 

RE:   H.B. No. 674

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 674, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to amend the General Appropriations Act of 2009 in regards to the operating budget of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to provide that:

 

(1)  Of the trust funds appropriated for beneficiary advocacy (OHA 175), $1,010,000 for each year of fiscal biennium 2009-2011, is to be used to support the building, operating, and personnel expenses of seven positions for Hookulaiwi: Aha Hoonaauao Oiwi (the Center for Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Education), on a one-to-one match by a trust fund expenditure by DHHL;

 

(2)  The sums appropriated for beneficiary advocacy (OHA 175) to be used for legal services and legal representation to OHA beneficiaries on various issues be reduced, and for the portion coming out of OHA's trust be increased and the general fund be reduced;

 

(3)  The sum appropriated to OHA (OHA 175) to establish the Achieving the Dream Initiative for Native Hawaiian students at the Hawaii Community College be increased to accommodate an increase in staffing for that program; and

 

 (4) The sum appropriated to OHA (OHA 175) to establish a research and training program for native Hawaiian students of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology be increased.

 

     The University of Hawaii System, Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, Kewalo Hawaiian Homestead Community Association, Papakolea Community Association, Papakolea Community Development Corporation, Aha Punana Leo Inc., and a vast number of concerned individuals, including members of the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, students, alumni, and faculty of the Hookulaiwi program, and Nanakuli residents testified in support of this bill.  OHA and DHHL supported the intent of this measure.  Hui Kakoo Aina Hoopulapula provided comments.

 

     Your Committee notes that while this bill was referred to it as a single referral because of the time constraints of the legislative session, the financial implications of this bill must still be examined by the Committee on Finance.  However, by passing this bill through, your Committee expresses its support for the programs in this bill that will greatly improve educational opportunities for the native Hawaiian community, and respectfully requests that the Committee on Finance work on any financial issues that may be raised in this bill. 

 

     Your Committee further supports the possibility of OHA creating a new category of programs such as those in this bill, to be added to the categories of services to be obtained through the public procurement system, and that the dialogue should be continued.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 674, H.D. 1, 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 Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair