STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1067

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1948

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1948, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to establish an Aha Moku Council System, in which Aha Moku Councils, or community groups, serve in an advisory capacity on all matters regarding the management of the state's natural resources, including management and maintenance of marine, land, cultural, and natural resources to ensure their future sustainable use.

     The Princess Ka‘iulani Hawaiian Civic Club, Pacific Indigenous Resource Management Institute, Hawaii Near Shore Fishermen, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported this measure with amendments.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources and Nature Conservancy supported the intent of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by providing an effective date of July 1, 2020, for the appropriation section of the bill to facilitate further discussion.

     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. 1948, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1948, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair