STAND. COM. REP. NO. 768

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 

 

RE:     S.B. No. 1609

        S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1609, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the improvement of Native Hawaiian communities and culture.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Appropriates moneys for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Department of Land and Natural Resources to issue grants tailored to improving Native Hawaiian communities;

 

     (2)  Imposes certain requirements relating to the foregoing grants; and

 

     (3)  Amends Act 195, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, to impose similar requirements relating to the grants funded pursuant to that Act.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui, a member of the Maui County Council, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Kapolei Chamber of Commerce, and three individuals.

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committee finds that Native Hawaiian communities are in need of effective assistance with respect to education, business and entrepreneurship mentoring, farming, cultural training, environmental management, and other fields.  Your Committee believes that funding for certain grants, as proposed by this measure, will help meet those needs.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that certain allocations apply to both fiscal year 2023-2024 and fiscal year 2024-2025;

 

     (2)  Changing the appropriations and allocations to unspecified amounts;

 

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

     (4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 S.B. No. 1609, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1609, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair