Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 624 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to make technical amendments to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, (Act) as amended, by:

(2) Clarifying the Department's reporting requirements.

The Department submitted testimony in support of this bill.

Your Committee finds that clarification of the Department's rulemaking authority is necessary to ensure that the Department adopts rules in accordance with Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to ensure the efficient execution of its functions under the Act.

Your Committee further finds that the Department's reporting requirements require clarification. Presently, the scope of the report encompasses all subleased lands controlled by the Department. The broadness of this requirement has caused confusion as to whether the homestead lands must be included in the Department report. Your Committee finds that in practice, the Department does not include homestead lands in its report since the Act does not permit the subleasing of homestead lands. Accordingly, clarifying the reporting requirements is necessary to maintain consistency with the other provisions of the Act.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 624 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.