STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2473

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2557

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2557 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN HOME LAND BENEFICIARIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow Hawaiian homestead lessees who meet the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement to pass their lease to their adopted children.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, Ho‘omanapono Political Action Committee, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that the benefit of Hawaiian homestead leases should be available for all members of a family, including those who are adopted into the family; provided that the adopted child also meets the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement for lease successorship.

Your Committee has amended this measure as suggested by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Department of the Attorney General by:

(1) Requiring that adopted children must meet the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, prior to adoption, in order to be a successor of the lease;

(2) Deleting the retroactive application of this measure and making the measure apply instead to Hawaiian homestead leases existing as of the effective date of this measure or issued on or after the effective date of this measure; and

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

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. 2557, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2557, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair