STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1498

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 122
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water and Land Use, to which was referred
H.R. No. 122 entitled:

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF PLANNING TO
     ESTABLISH WORKING GROUPS ON EACH ISLAND TO IDENTIFY,
     EXAMINE, AND RESOLVE OUTSTANDING LAND USE ISSUES AND THEIR
     IMPACT ON THE HAWAIIAN AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN PEOPLES AND THEIR
     CULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to request the Office of
Planning to establish working groups on each island to identify,
examine, and resolve outstanding land issues and their impact on
the Hawaiian and native Hawaiian peoples and culture.  

     Your Committee received testimony as follows:

     1.   One state representative and one individual, in
          support; and 

     2.   Office of Planning of the Department of Business,
          Economic Development, and Tourism, Office of Hawaiian
          Affairs, in opposition.  

     The Office of Planning testified that the broad scope of the
resolution would result in a time-intensive task for which it did
not have sufficient funds, and that a narrower, clearly defined
mission would need to be defined.  

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs expressed concerns about the
composition of the working group, particularly with organizations
having land use interests.  The position of OHA is that its
constitutional mandate requires that it should lead any study

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1498
                                 Page 2

 
related to practices, traditions and rights that define Native
Hawaiian culture.  

     Your Committee finds that the land use issues relating to
the Native Hawaiian community need to be addressed, but that time
constraints require that these matters be resolved in the next
committee.  The Office of Planning and the Office of Hawaiian
Affairs will meet with the sponsor of this resolution to develop
a consensus position and submit its proposal.  

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Water and Land Use that is attached to this report,
your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No.
122, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on
Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Water and Land
                                   Use,



                                   ______________________________
                                   Romy M. Cachola, Chair