STAND. COM. REP. NO. 571

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 204

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 204 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 2021-2023 fiscal biennium for certain operating expenses of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiian Affairs Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a semi-autonomous state agency established by the Hawaii State Constitution whose mandate is to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians. Your Committee further finds that the appropriations made by this measure will help the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to fulfill this constitutional mandate.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 204 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair