Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 450, H.D. 1 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds for the biennial budget (fiscal years 2005-2006 and 2006-2007) of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA).

OHA, Halau Ku Mana, Alu Like, Inc., and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.

The budget for OHA has remained relatively stable for the past several years and this coming biennium is no exception. In addition to several small housekeeping transfers within its budget, OHA has also requested additional funding for three programs. These programs are the Multi Service Project for Alu Like, Inc., Na Pua No’eau, and the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

Additional funding for these programs will allow OHA to provide additional services to its target population. Specifically, Alu Like, Inc., helps provide the right of entry for beneficiary needs with respect to human services; Na Pua No’eau helps to nurture leadership qualities in native Hawaiian children; and the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation provides legal assistance to native Hawaiians involved in defense or assertion of claims to land, natural resources, and related entitlements.

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs provided full funding for all of OHA’s initiatives, and your Committee on Finance agrees with this position.

Your Committee on Finance has amended this measure by correcting an erroneous dollar figure in the second fiscal year of the budget for beneficiary advocacy (OHA 175) to clarify that the funds appropriated should read $2,869,991 rather than $2,89,991.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 450 H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 450, H.D. 2.