STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1169

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 140

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs and Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing, to which was referred S.R. No. 140 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS AND RECOMMEND LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ENTITY TO ENHANCE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF NATIVE HAWAIIANS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to convene a working group to discuss and propose legislation that, in summary:

         

     (1)  Ensures sufficient funds, as required by the Hawaii State Constitution, are provided by the State to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;

 

     (2)  Generates revenues for the general fund and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;

 

     (3)  Considers the costs and benefits of authorizing the creation of native Hawaiian corporate entities;

 

     (4)  Considers vehicles for obtaining revenue that will not require up-front costs, including the appropriate use of public-private joint ventures; and

 

     (5)  Generates revenue using lands and assets that are not Hawaiian home land trust lands.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committees find that due to the recent economic recession and diminishing funds in the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Office of Hawaiian Affairs, innovative streams of funding are necessary to secure the future of native Hawaiian programs.  This measure will facilitate discussions among various agencies to identify long-term financial solutions to ensure the future of these programs.  Your Committees note, however, that this discussion should take place between beneficiaries of the Hawaiian homelands trust and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

 

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the statement that the State's "obligation, currently valued at $15,000,000 per year, not only runs in perpetuity but also requires a back payment";

 

     (2)  Changing the composition of the working group to include the Chairperson of the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly Executive Council; President of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; and other appropriate native Hawaiian beneficiaries and constituents, rather than the Director of Finance; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and the Attorney General; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs and Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 140, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 140, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs and Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing,

 

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

 

____________________________

BRICKWOOD GALUTERIA, Chair