90
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING A STUDY TO ASCERTAIN THE FEASIBILITY OF AMENDING THE
   HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT TO ALLOW FOR DIRECT ELECTION
   OF MEMBERS.



 1       WHEREAS, the Hawaiian community desires greater
 2   accountability from the public institutions of special
 3   relevance to them; and  
 4   
 5       WHEREAS, Hawaii is an island State where ensuring and
 6   preserving representation from each geographical region is
 7   desirable and necessary; and 
 8   
 9       WHEREAS, the members of the Hawaiian Homes Commission are
10   at present not elected but nominated and appointed by the
11   Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate in
12   accordance with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, Section 202
13   and Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 26-34; now, therefore, 
14   
15       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
16   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
17   of 2000, that the Legislative Reference Bureau shall undertake
18   a study to determine the legal issues involved in amending the
19   Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to allow for direct election of
20   the members of the Hawaiian Homes Commission by their
21   beneficiaries while preserving the system of regional
22   representation embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,
23   Section 202 subsection(a); and
24   
25       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, among other things, the
26   Legislative Reference Bureau shall address the following points
27   in its study:
28   
29       (1)  Whether such amendment to the Hawaiian Homes
30            Commission Act would require the consent of the United
31            States Congress;
32   
33       (2)  Whether such amendment would require a further
34            amendment to the Hawaii State Constitution;
35   
36       (3)  Whether such amendment would be compatible with the
37            United States Constitution; and

 
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 1   
 2       (4)  In the event such an amendment were enacted, who
 3            should be allowed to run, who should be permitted to
 4            vote, how the seats should be apportioned, and how
 5            such an election should be financed; and
 6   
 7       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a report of the findings
 8   pursuant to this request be submitted to the Legislature no
 9   later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular
10   Session of 2001; and
11   
12       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this
13   Resolution be transmitted to the Legislative Reference Bureau.