Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2897 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a State Office on Hawaiian Culture and Arts and an attendant grant program.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Keomailani Hanapi Foundation, the `Ilio`ulaokalani Coalition the `Ilio`ulaokalani Youth Coalition, Ka Lahui Hawaii, and four private citizens.

Your Committees find that the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is currently charged with the responsibility to promote and nurture Hawaiian culture and arts. Although mandated to do so, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is also charged with promoting and nurturing all cultural and artistic endeavors in the State. Sadly, with the current state of fiscal austerity, the Foundation is not able to devote enough resources to perpetuating Hawaiian culture and arts in the manner that it should be.

To this end, the measure establishes a State Office on Hawaiian Culture and Arts and an attendant grant program to further the goal of perpetuating and preserving Hawaiian cultural activities and arts.

Your Committees have amended the measure by changing the effective date from July 1, 2002, to July 1, 2050, to ensure further discussion on the issue.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2897, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2897, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.