STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1158-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2948

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2948, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC LAND TRUST,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to further the Legislature's attempt to determine the pro rata portion of the public land trust to be transferred to, managed, and administered by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) for the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians pursuant to Article XII, section 6 of the Hawaii Constitution. Specifically, this bill establishes and appropriates to OHA for the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians:

(1) The sum of $15,100,000 as interim revenue each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2005-2006; and

(2) An unspecified sum as the amount of underpayment for the period between July 1, 2001, and June 30, 2005.

The Attorney General, OHA, Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.

 

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Specifying $17,500,000 as the amount of underpayment for the period between July 1, 2001, and June 30, 2005 and the Department of Budget and Finance as the expending agency;

(2) Expressly authorizing the Governor to fix the amounts each agency is to transfer to OHA in each quarter to satisfy the total sum owed to OHA;

(3) Requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources to account for receipts generated from the public land trust, and appropriating $250,000 for that purpose; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2948, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2948, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs,

 

____________________________

SCOTT K. SAIKI, Chair