STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1468

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.C.R. No. 226

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 226 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE SYSTEM AND PROCEDURES FOR THE REVIEW OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN BURIAL SITES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to improve the State's protection and preservation of native Hawaiian burial sites by requesting the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to convene a working group to review the current law and procedures and submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kanaka Council, and Protect Keopuka Ohana testified in support of this measure.  The Society for Hawaiian Archaeology supported the intent of this measure.  Comments were provided by a concerned individual.

     It has been nearly 20 years since the State's burial sites program and Island Burial Councils were established.  Your Committee believes it is the right time to review and improve those laws, as needed, in light of our experience in implementing them, as well as in light of changes in the community and advances in our knowledge of the subject.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Including the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH-Hilo) in the working group, and making conforming amendments to include the Chancellor of UH-Hilo in the list of recipients of certified copies of this concurrent resolution;

(2)  Requesting the working group to review concerns relating to the State Historic Preservation Division, including personnel, leadership, and resource issues, and the problems highlighted by the Wal-Mart, Hokulia, Ward, and Naue situations; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 226, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 226, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair