RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has provided a business development program to assist small disadvantaged businesses develop and grow through the use of federal contracts, known as the United States Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program which was named for section 8(a) of the Small Business Act; and

WHEREAS, the Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program has generated significant economic and social benefits for minority-owned businesses throughout the United States, including the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Alaskan Native Corporations--corporations organized in accordance with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended--have successfully used the Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program to generate jobs in the State of Alaska and create programs and services for the benefit of Native Alaskans; and

WHEREAS, Native American Tribal corporations have successfully used the Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program to generate jobs and create programs and services for the benefit of tribal members; and

WHEREAS, the Native Hawaiian people are the largest indigenous group in the United States, and, if authorized by Congress, the people of the State of Hawaii and the Native Hawaiian community would also benefit from extending to Native Hawaiian Organization owned 8(a) small businesses the federal contracting provisions in the Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program that currently only apply to Alaskan Native Corporations and small businesses owned by Indian tribes; and

WHEREAS, extending the 8(a) federal contracting opportunities to Native Hawaiian Organization owned 8(a) small businesses would benefit all of the people of the State of Hawaii, regardless of culture or race; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the Senate concurring, that Hawaii's congressional delegation is requested to petition the United States Congress and President to support, during the current Congress, the amendment of appropriate legislation to extend those provisions governing federal contracting opportunities for Alaskan Native Corporations and Indian tribes in the Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program to eligible Native Hawaiian Organization owned 8(a) small businesses; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

Report Title:

Native Hawaiian 8(a) Small Businesses