STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1448

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1675
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1675, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS TRUST
     INDIVIDUAL CLAIMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to extend the time to process
individual Hawaiian home lands trust claims until December 31,
2001.

     In addition, this bill:

     (1)  Establishes a special account in the Hawaiian home
          lands trust fund for the purpose of compensating
          successful claimants who were awarded a monetary
          judgment by the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust Individual
          Claims Review Panel under chapter 674, Hawaii Revised
          Statutes;

     (2)  Transfers the cash value credit of $14,498,565 to the
          special account in the Hawaiian home lands trust fund
          that the State sought to obtain from the Department of
          Hawaiian Home Lands for lands conveyed by Act 95,
          Session Laws of Hawaii 1996, for settlement payments
          owned under chapter 673;

 
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     (3)  Sunsets the special account on June 30, 2004;

     (4)  Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in
          the amount of $1,936,111 to cover the additional amount
          necessary to compensate successful claimants who were
          awarded a monetary judgment by the Hawaiian Home Lands
          Trust Individual Claims Review Panel under chapter 674,
          Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

     (5)  Provides that the awards authorized by the Hawaiian
          Home Lands Trust Individual Claims Review Panel in
          either their 1997 or 1999 reports and settled under
          this measure shall not serve as a precedent for any
          other unresolved claims brought under chapter 674,
          Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee finds that the entire Hawaiian home lands
trust issue dealing with individual claims has taken too long,
leaving the claimants with no closure many years after its
original conception.  Unfortunately, the current poor condition
of the State's economy combined with unresolved court rulings in
this area mean that speedy resolution of this issue is not
forthcoming.   Your Committee agrees with the report of your
Committee on Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs that successful
claimants should be compensated by "requiring the Department of
Hawaiian Home Lands to expend funds from the Hawaiian Home Lands
Trust Fund."  It is toward this end that your Committee agrees
that the cash value credit of $14,498,565 for the settlement for
lands conveyed by Act 95, Session Laws of Hawaii 1996, be made to
the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.  By providing that this
authorization shall not serve as precedent in the future for any
other unresolved claims brought under chapter 674, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, your Committee believes that these payments should
conclude the successful claimants' long wait.

     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 H.B. No.
1675, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1448
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                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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