STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3028

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3109

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3109 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure that the efforts under Act 279, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022 (Act 279), to reduce the number of applicants on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands waitlist comply with applicable provisions of the Hawaii State Constitution.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Department of Budget and Finance, and two individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee recognizes that the appropriation made by Act 279 does not comply with Article VII, section 11, of the Hawaii State Constitution, which provides that appropriations for which the source is general funds shall not be made for a period exceeding three years. Your Committee finds that this measure proposes an appropriate solution to this issue by correcting Act 279's original general fund appropriation lapse date and making a new appropriation for fiscal year 2024-2025.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3109, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3109, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair