STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2712

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2873

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2873 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE NAMING COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish an advisory commission within the Department of Accounting and General Services to propose names or a change of names for state buildings, parks, facilities, and events.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that the names of places in the State represent significant figures in the State's history and symbolism within Native Hawaiian culture. As many significant historical events have shaped the State, names reflect the memory and identity of a specific place or geographical area. This measure establishes a process to recognize both the State's unique history and Native Hawaiian culture in the naming of state buildings, parks, facilities, and events.

At the hearing's conclusion, your Committee discussed the importance of Native Hawaiian involvement in the advisory commission to preserve kanaka maoli cultural heritage when naming state buildings, parks, facilities, and events. In order to achieve this without expanding the size of the commission, your Committee decided to replace the Director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts with a member of the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge to ensure that knowledgeable representation from the Hawaiian community occurs. Accordingly, this measure needs to be amended to ensure knowledgeable representation from the Hawaiian community on the advisory commission without expanding its number of members.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing a member from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts with a member from Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge on the advisory commission;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2873, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2873, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair