STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2508

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1281

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1281 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to release to beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, quarterly reports that contain certain information regarding leases and fiscal matters.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Your Committee finds that transparency and accountability is of the utmost importance. Therefore, the purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to provide quarterly accountability reports to beneficiaries within fifteen days following the end of each quarter.

Your Committee notes that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands would like to send quarterly updates by mail to beneficiaries especially as a service to those beneficiaries without access to a computer, but each round of mailings costs upwards of $10,000, which are funds more appropriately allocated to solving the wait list housing issues.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding the planned contents of these quarterly reports to the already existing monthly online reports; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the 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. 1281, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1281, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

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

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MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair