STAND. COM. REP. NO.  925

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 222

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 222, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the operating and capital improvement costs of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for fiscal years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, Sovereign Mokupuni Council o Oahu, Kewalo Hawaiian Homestead Community Association, Waianae Kai Homestead, and Nanakuli Homestead supported this bill.

     Your Committee recognizes the importance of supporting programs for Native Hawaiians.  OHA has received national recognition for its success in implementing the Health Advocacy Initiative and Native Hawaiian Health Consortium.  Your Committee has, therefore, appropriated $400,000 in both general and trust funds for health-improvement programs to allow OHA to broaden its impact on the community.

     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. 222, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 222, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair