STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2507

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2566

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. 2566 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require that the Governor make nominations to fill vacancies on the Hawaiian Homes Commission in accordance with recommendations by representatives from the Hawaiian homestead and beneficiary associations within sixty days and that these candidates have a working knowledge of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Pi‘ihonua Hawaiian Homestead Community Association and eight individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Your Committee finds that the current process for selecting candidates to fill vacancies on the Hawaiian Homes Commission undermines the effectiveness of the Commission. Vacancies on the Commission can persist for months or years, and when they are filled, those Commissioners may lack sufficient knowledge of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920. Therefore, the purpose of this measure is to expedite the nomination process to fill vacancies on the Hawaiian Homes Commission and expand beneficiary input in the selection process to ensure a higher standard of nominees.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the district councils from the bodies that provide a list of candidates which the Governor may select a commissioner from, to advisory bodies providing recommendations to the Governor regarding the decision on filling vacancies on the Hawaiian Homes Commission;

(2) Requiring names for possible candidates for the Hawaiian Homes Commission to be submitted to the Governor within thirty days and for the Governor to appoint an individual within ninety days; and

(3) Removing restrictive language to allow the councils more decision-making flexibility.

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. 2566, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2566, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair