STAND. COM. REP. NO. 635-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2499

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2499 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require certain departments and agencies to provide grants to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations that have experience and expertise in supporting and advancing Native Hawaiian communities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Office of Community Services, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Kua‘āina Ulu ‘Auamo, The Friends of Iolani Palace, Kapolei Chamber of Commerce, and one individual. 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 the Attorney General; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Land and Natural Resources; and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that this measure supports Native Hawaiian communities and culture by tailoring assistance programs to benefit them and capitalizing on organizations with at least twenty years of experience providing assistance and support to Native Hawaiian communities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the grants awarded pursuant to this measure must be in conformance with the standards for the award of grants under state law; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2499, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2499, H.D. 1, 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