REPORT TITLE:
Burial Sites


DESCRIPTION:
Authorizes the DLNR to execute mitigation plans for the
landowner, permittee, or developer, on request, for inadvertent
discovery of burial sites.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2483
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO BURIAL SITES.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 6E-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "§6E-3 Historic preservation program.  There is established
 
 4 within the department a division to administer a comprehensive
 
 5 historic preservation program, which shall include but not be
 
 6 limited to the following:
 
 7      (1)  Development of an on-going program of historical,
 
 8           architectural, and archaeological research and
 
 9           development, including surveys, excavations, scientific
 
10           recording, interpretation, and publications on the
 
11           State's historical and cultural resources;
 
12      (2)  Acquisition of historic or cultural properties, real or
 
13           personal, in fee or in any lesser interest, by gift,
 
14           purchase, condemnation, devise, bequest, land exchange,
 
15           or other means; preservation, restoration,
 
16           administration, or transference of the property; and
 
17           the charging of reasonable admissions to that property;
 
18      (3)  Development of a statewide survey and inventory to
 
19           identify and document historic properties, aviation
 

 
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 1           artifacts, and burial sites, including all those owned
 
 2           by the State and the counties;
 
 3      (4)  Preparation of information for the Hawaii register of
 
 4           historic places and listing on the national register of
 
 5           historic places;
 
 6      (5)  Preparation, review, and revisions of a state historic
 
 7           preservation plan, including budget requirements and
 
 8           land use recommendations;
 
 9      (6)  Application for and receipt of gifts, grants, technical
 
10           assistance, and other funding from public and private
 
11           sources for the purposes of this chapter;
 
12      (7)  Provision of technical and financial assistance to the
 
13           counties and public and private agencies involved in
 
14           historic preservation activities;
 
15      (8)  Coordination of activities of the counties in
 
16           accordance with the state plan for historic
 
17           preservation;
 
18      (9)  Stimulation of public interest in historic
 
19           preservation, including the development and
 
20           implementation of interpretive programs for historic
 
21           properties listed on or eligible for the Hawaii
 
22           register of historic places;
 
23     (10)  Coordination of the evaluation and management of burial
 

 
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 1           sites as provided in section 6E-43;
 
 2     (11)  Acquisition of burial sites in fee or in any lesser
 
 3           interest, by gift, purchase, condemnation, devise,
 
 4           bequest, land exchange, or other means, to be held in
 
 5           trust;
 
 6     (12)  Submittal of an annual report to the governor and
 
 7           legislature detailing the accomplishments of the year,
 
 8           recommendations for changes in the state plan or future
 
 9           programs relating to historic preservation, and an
 
10           accounting of all income, expenditures, and the fund
 
11           balance of the Hawaii historic preservation special
 
12           fund;
 
13     (13)  Regulation of archaeological activities throughout the
 
14           State;
 
15     (14)  Employment of sufficient professional and technical
 
16           staff for the purposes of this chapter without regard
 
17           to chapters 76 and 77;
 
18     (15)  The charging of fees to at least partially defray the
 
19           costs of administering sections 6E-3(13), 6E-8, [and]
 
20           6E-42, and 6E-43.6, of this chapter;
 
21     (16)  Adoption of rules in accordance with chapter 91,
 
22           necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;
 
23           and
 

 
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 1     (17)  Development and adoption, in consultation with the
 
 2           office of Hawaiian affairs native historic preservation
 
 3           council, of rules governing permits for access by
 
 4           native Hawaiians and Hawaiians to cultural, historic,
 
 5           and pre-contact sites and monuments."
 
 6      SECTION 2.  Section 6E-43.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 7 amended to read as follows:
 
 8      "[[]§6E-43.6[]]  Inadvertent discovery of burial sites.(a)
 
 9 In the event human skeletal remains are inadvertently discovered,
 
10 any activity in the immediate area that could damage the remains
 
11 or the potential historic site shall cease until the requirements
 
12 of subsections (b) to (d) have been met.
 
13      (b)  The discovery shall be reported as soon as possible to
 
14 the department, the appropriate medical examiner or coroner, and
 
15 the appropriate police department.  As soon as practicable, the
 
16 department shall notify the appropriate council and the office of
 
17 Hawaiian affairs.
 
18      (c)  After notification of the discovery of multiple
 
19 skeletons, the following shall be done within two working days,
 
20 if on Oahu, and three working days, if in other council
 
21 jurisdictions:
 
22      (1)  A representative of the medical examiner or coroner's
 
23           office and a qualified archaeologist shall examine the
 

 
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 1           remains to determine jurisdiction.  If the remains are
 
 2           the responsibility of the medical examiner or coroner,
 
 3           the department's involvement shall end.  If the remains
 
 4           are historic or prehistoric burials, then the remainder
 
 5           of this section shall apply;
 
 6      (2)  The department shall gather sufficient information,
 
 7           including oral tradition, to document the nature of the
 
 8           burial context and determine appropriate treatment of
 
 9           the remains.  Members of the appropriate council shall
 
10           be allowed to oversee the on-site examination and, if
 
11           warranted, removal; and
 
12      (3)  If removal of the remains is warranted, based on
 
13           criteria developed by the department, in consultation
 
14           with the councils, office of Hawaiian affairs,
 
15           representatives of development and large property owner
 
16           interests, and appropriate Hawaiian organizations, such
 
17           as Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai`i Nei, through rules
 
18           adopted pursuant to chapter 91, the removal of the
 
19           remains shall be overseen by a qualified archaeologist
 
20           and a mitigation plan shall be prepared by the
 
21           department or with the concurrence of the department.
 
22      (d)  In cases involving the discovery of a single skeleton,
 
23 the requirements of subsection (c) shall be fulfilled in one
 

 
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 1 working day if on Oahu, and two working days if in other council
 
 2 jurisdictions.
 
 3      (e)  The mitigation plan developed by or with the
 
 4 concurrence of the department pursuant to subsection (c)(3) shall
 
 5 be carried out in accordance with the following:
 
 6      (1)  In discoveries related to development where land
 
 7           alteration project activities exist, the landowner,
 
 8           permittee, or developer shall be responsible for the
 
 9           execution of the mitigation plan including relocation
 
10           of remains[.  Justifiable delays resulting from the
 
11           discovery of burials shall not count against any
 
12           contractor's completion date agreement];
 
13      (2)  Project activities shall resume once necessary
 
14           archaeological excavations provided in the mitigation
 
15           plan have been completed;
 
16      (3)  In nonproject contexts, the department shall be
 
17           responsible for the execution of the mitigation plan
 
18           and the relocation of remains; and
 
19      (4)  The department shall verify the successful execution of
 
20           the mitigation plan.
 
21      (f)  Where the department determines it to be appropriate,
 
22 the department may execute the mitigation plan for the landowner,
 
23 permittee, or developer, upon request by the landowner,
 

 
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 1 permittee, or developer.  The department may charge a fee for
 
 2 execution of the mitigation plan.  The department shall adopt
 
 3 rules pursuant to chapter 91, which shall set forth procedures
 
 4 for the department to execute the mitigation plan and to charge a
 
 5 fee for execution of the mitigation plan.
 
 6      (g)  Justifiable delays resulting from the discovery of
 
 7 burials shall not count against any contractor's completion date
 
 8 agreement.
 
 9      [(f)] (h)  In cases where remains are archaeologically
 
10 removed, the department shall determine the place of relocation,
 
11 after consultation with the appropriate council, affected
 
12 property owners, representatives of the relevant ethnic group,
 
13 and any identified lineal descendants, as appropriate.
 
14 Relocation shall conform with requirements imposed by the
 
15 department of health, and may be accompanied by traditional
 
16 ceremonies, as determined by the lineal descendants, or, if no
 
17 lineal descendants are identified, the appropriate council or
 
18 representatives of the relevant ethnic group that the department
 
19 deems appropriate.  Specific or special reinterment requests from
 
20 lineal or cultural descendants may be accommodated provided that
 
21 the additional expenses incurred are paid by the affected
 
22 descendants."
 
23      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 

 
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 1 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 2      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
 3 
 
 4                       INTRODUCED BY:  ___________________________