HB2347 HD1

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2347
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE STATE ARCHIVES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the original state archives building, known as the Kanaina building, was built in 1905 on the Iolani Palace grounds within the Hawaii capital historic district to house the public archives of Hawaii. After many years of collecting the most important records and artifacts from the Hawaiian kingdom through statehood, the state archives eventually outgrew the Kanaina building and in 1952, a new building adjacent to the Kanaina building was constructed as the new home of the state archives and named after Kekauluohi.

The legislature further finds that there exists a need to promote citizen engagement in the documentary and tangible artifact heritage of the government, provide greater education of the history of Hawaii's governments and its people, and assist the people of Hawaii in connecting with their personal history as well as the history of Hawaii, for the state archives to fulfil its role as the keeper of the public memory.

There also exists a need to have dedicated exhibition space to highlight the many historic records and artifacts that document the vibrant and diverse history of Hawaii, its public institutions, and its people.

An additional challenge is presented when aging, underrepresented, and marginalized segments of the community seek to donate important historical documents and artifacts to the state archives. A lack of storage space in the current state archives building requires the state archivist to be very selective in accepting donations.

The legislature further finds that the Hawaii capital historic district, the center of Hawaii's government for more than one hundred fifty years, now consists of twenty buildings and structures, and was added to the National Registry of Historic Places on December 1, 1978. The buildings and structures within the Hawaii capital historic district have distinct architectural styles, ranging from nineteenth century adaptations of New England homes to the Italianate renaissance revival and Neoclassic edifices of the Hawaiian monarchy. The current state archives building does not fit architecturally with the other buildings of the Hawaii capital historic district and is outdated. The Kanaina building has electrical and elevator problems requiring expensive repair, and lacks stable backup power, which puts the secure storage of the records and artifacts at risk.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated challenges for the public to access the physical records held by the state archives and further exposed the limitations of the state archives in performing its duties and functions to serve the State and the public. Persons who do not live on Oahu, those with mobility or disability limitations, or those who may require special accommodations to exercise their legal rights as citizens of the State to discover their own history have been particularly affected by these challenges. Increased access to digitized records is greatly needed to make public records freely and equally accessible to the public, regardless of date, time, or location. Given the limitations on staffing and current space availability at the state archives, there is a strong need to reduce the barriers that impede access to the most important records in the State that document the long-storied history and heritage of the Hawaiian people.

The purpose of this Act is to provide funding for the development of a master plan to address the current and future facilities needs of the state archives.

SECTION 2. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the purpose of capital improvement projects as follows:

State Archives, Oahu

Development of a state archives master plan to include the expansion and creation of new collections processing and storage, administration, public research, exhibition, and community engagement spaces.

Plans $

Total funding $

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated for the capital improvement project set forth in section 2 shall be expended by the department of accounting and general services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. The appropriation made for the capital improvement project authorized by this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal biennium for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2024, shall lapse as of that date.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2044.