STAND. COM. REP. NO.  541

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1201

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1201 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to streamline the process for preparing the Office of Hawaiian Affair's budget, by:

     (1)  Allowing the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian

          Affairs to choose the best method of providing

          beneficiaries in each county with opportunities to

          participate in the preparation of each of its biennial

          and supplemental budgets; and

     (2)  Eliminating the requirement that meetings be held in

          every county. 

This bill also permits the Board of Trustees to publish the proposed budget on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs website for greater accessibility.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs testified in support of this bill.  A native Hawaiian beneficiary of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs opposed this measure.

     Your Committee believes this bill deserves further deliberation.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1201, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1201, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair