STAND. COM. REP. NO.  577

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 949

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.B. No. 949 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to stimulate and support commercial development on Hawaiian home lands that benefits neighboring residents and the economy, by authorizing the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to lease Hawaiian home lands for terms of up to 99 years for commercial land developments.

     The Hawaiian Homes Commission, DHHL, Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, DeBartolo Development, Diversified Equity Investment Corporation, and Malu'ohai Residents Association provided testimony in support of this bill.  The Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders' Association Inc., and Paukukalo Hawaiian Homes Community Association opposed this measure.

     Giving DHHL the ability to enter into commercial long-term leases may provide a revenue stream that could help DHHL and its homestead communities to become financially self-sufficient, and be used to fund facilities for Hawaiian homestead communities, such as community centers.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 949 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair

____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Chair