STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3037

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1932

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1932, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to reimburse the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for administrative and operating costs expensed during the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Aha Moku Advisory Committee; Pana‘ewa Hawaiian Home Lands Community Association; Ho‘omana Pono, LLC; Makaha Hawaiian Civic Club; Waimānalo Hawaiian Homes Association; Kalihi Palama Hawaiian Civic Club; Keaukaha Community Association; and fourteen individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Constitution requires the Legislature to make sufficient sums available for the administration and operating budget of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.  Your Committee also finds that although the Legislature provided an appropriation to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for fiscal year 2015-2016, the appropriation does not fully fund the administrative and operating expenses of the Department for fiscal year 2015-2016.

     Your Committee notes that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands requested an administrative and operating budget for fiscal year 2015-2016 of $28,478,966.  Thus, your Committee has amended this measure by inserting $28,478,966 as the amount of the appropriation for fiscal year 2016-2017.

     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 H.B. No. 1932, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1932, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor.

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

________________________________

MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair