STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1192-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   S.B. No. 2793

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2793, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, with unanimous consent from the commission, to suspend administrative rules and award a homestead lease to any native Hawaiian who has been on the Hawaiian Home Lands waitlist for at least 20 years.

The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, Sovereign Mokupuni Council O Maui, Sovereign Mokupuni Council O Kauai, Sovereign Mokupuni Council O Molokai, Sovereign Mokupuni Council O Oahu, and the Waianae Kai Homestead Community Association supported the measure.  The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the measure with amendments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding a preamble that explains the importance of allowing the chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission to suspend certain provisions of Title 10 of the Hawaii Administrative Rules to meet the needs of the longest-waiting applicants on the Hawaiian Home Lands waitlist, and clarifies that there are applicants who have been on the waitlist for at least 20 years, who have received multiple offers of lease awards, but who have not been able to accept the awards; and

     (2)  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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2793, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2793, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

FAYE HANOHANO, Chair