STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2355

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2369

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2369 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to digitize its applicant, beneficiary, and lessee records; and

 

(2)  Appropriate funds.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

 

     Your Committee finds that while basic Department of Hawaiian Home Lands applicant waiting lists are available for download on the department's website, the exact details of each applicant, including whether the person has applied for multiple leases, been denied a prior lease, or been skipped over, is not readily accessible, even for department staff.  Beneficiary records of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands are spread across multiple locations.  If a beneficiary seeks to determine his or her status, finding and gathering that information can take weeks.  This lack of organization has led to some lessees abusing the program by selling or transferring their leases and reapplying for a subsequent lease.  This measure will require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to digitize its beneficiary waiting lists and other related data which will help increase the efficiency of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and reduce lease award abuse by lessees.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     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 S.B. No. 2369, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2369, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair