STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3657

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 57

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 57 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE OF HAWAI‘I TO PROVIDE NATIVE HAWAIIANS WITH THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE PUBLIC LAND TRUST REVENUE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the State of Hawaii to provide native Hawaiians with their fair share of the public land trust revenues.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaiian Affairs Caucus; Kamehameha Schools; and four individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Center of Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Constitution does not define what percentage of the public land trust income and proceeds the Office of Hawaiian Affairs should receive on behalf of native Hawaiians because that determination was left to the Legislature. The Legislature determined that native Hawaiians should receive at least twenty percent of the public land trust revenue. Twenty percent of the total revenues of the public land trust is estimated to be at least $34,963,244 as of fiscal year 2015-2016. Native Hawaiians, through the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, have yet to be provided with their fair share of the public land trust revenue. The State should provide the Office of Hawaiian Affairs with its fair share of the revenue to demonstrate that the State is committed to fulfilling its public land trust obligations owed to native Hawaiians and to improving the conditions for native Hawaiians in the State.

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 S.C.R. No. 57 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair