Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1154 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee, is to clarify that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is required to reimburse the State for state contributions to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund made for employees whose compensation is paid at least in part from funds other than the general fund.

Your Committee finds that the work of the Hui `Imi Task Force for Hawaiian Services (Task Force) in the delivery of social services to native Hawaiians is of great importance. The purpose of the Task Force was to make findings and recommendations concerning the coordination of public and private services available to Hawaiians in the areas of education, economic development, housing, employment, medicine, law, cultural issues, and social issues. Although the legislative authorization of the Task Force ended upon the filing of its findings and recommendation report in 1991, the Task Force continued its work on an informal basis. In 1997, the Legislature passed Act 376, which formally reauthorized, temporarily, the Task Force as the Hui `Imi Advisory Council (Council).

Your Committee finds that the work of the Council remains a valuable resource to the State and native Hawaiian community by serving as a forum in which ideas and concerns relating to human services issues important to Hawaiians may be expressed and shared among the public and private agencies involved in the delivery of those services to the native Hawaiian community.

For purposes of the public hearing, your Committee circulated and subsequently adopted a proposed H.D. 1 version that deletes the contents of this bill and inserts new provisions relating to the permanent establishment of the Council.

Specifically, the proposed H.D. 1:

(3) Mandates the Council to:

OHA, Alu Like, Inc., E Ola Mau, Kamehameha Schools, and one concerned individual testified in support of this measure.

Upon further consideration, your Committee made technical, nonsubstantive amendments to correct drafting errors.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1154, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1154, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.