STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1296

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1200

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1200, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BUDGET OF THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to continue to work for the betterment of the conditions of Native Hawaiians by appropriating funds to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' fiscal biennium 2007-2009 budget.

     Specifically, this measure requests an appropriation of funds for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' operating budget and a capital improvements project for the construction of the Kakaako Culture Center and Office Building.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; the Waimanalo Hawaiian Homes Association; the Partners-In-Development Foundation; the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation; the Moanalua Gardens Foundation; the Princess Kaiulani Hawaiian Civic Club; the Living Nation; the Institute For Family Enrichment; ALU LIKE, Inc.; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; USTA Hawaii Pacific; the Turning Point for Families, Inc.; Hawaii Habitat for Humanity; Ho‘omau Ke Ola; the Hawaiian Community Development Board; the Neighborhood Place of Puna; the Reverend Joel Hulu Mahoe Resource Center; Nā Pua No‘eau; the Kamehameha Scholars Program; the Akaku Molokai Media Center; Ala Kuola; Munaleo, Inc.; the Lunalilo Home; the Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.; one hundred seventy-four individuals; and petitions with a combined total of ninety-six signatures.  The Hawaii Community Development Corporation submitted comments.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is requesting an appropriation of moneys from the general fund for the Office to provide social services to Office of Hawaiian Affairs beneficiaries, educational enrichment programs for Native Hawaiian children in grades kindergarten to twelfth, and legal services and legal representation to Office of Hawaiian Affairs beneficiaries for quiet title actions and assistance with ahupua‘a and kuleana tenant rights.  Your Committee finds that appropriating funds to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs will enable the Office to serve the purposes, which are mandated in the state constitution under chapter 10, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by amending the means of financing for the capital improvement project budget for a new three-story building that will serve as a cultural center and office building for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs by appropriating $3,050,000 from general obligation bond funds for the 2007-2008 fiscal year for the design and planning of the cultural center and office.  Your Committee also made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of style and consistency.

     Your Committee notes that the bill appropriates $52,990,000 from trust funds for the 2008-2009 fiscal year for the construction of and equipment for the cultural center and office.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1200, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1200, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair