Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1157 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that the salary of the administrator of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) be set by the board at not less than the salary of department heads or executive officers as established by law.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the OHA and an individual.

Existing law provides that the salary be not more than that of department heads. Your Committee finds that the responsibility and duties of the administrator of OHA are comparable to department heads of the State. Therefore, your Committee believes that the administrator should be compensated no less than department heads. This measure allows the possibility for the administrator to be paid more than department heads. However, in view of the size of the OHA budget, the complexities of the issues and litigation concerning OHA, and the ramifications of OHA decisions, your Committee believes it is not unreasonable to compensate the administrator more than department heads.

Your Committee also believes that the position must be at a salary level sufficient to attract high quality applicants with knowledge and experience in administration, management, budgets, state and federal legislative processes, state and county governments, land issues, sovereignty issues, education, and negotiation.

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 S.B. No. 1157 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.