STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1095

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1087

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1087, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Allow the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to assume historic preservation review of the effect on any proposed project for lands under its jurisdiction except for certain projects; and

(2) Transfer the administrative placement of the Island Burial Councils to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that under existing law, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is required to consult with the Department of Land and Natural Resources regarding the effect of any proposed project relating to lands under the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' jurisdiction on historic properties or burial sites. Your Committee recognizes that this review process is delaying projects that would provide housing for beneficiaries of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Streamlining this process by allowing the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to assume review of these projects, as intended by this measure, will allow the construction of these proposed projects to be expedited.

Your Committee further finds that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs requested in oral testimony that the provisions transferring the administrative placement of the Island Burial Councils to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs be deleted. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs testified that it is working on a resolution to explore the transfer of Island Burial Councils.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the necessary qualifications for a Hawaiian Home Lands Preservation Officer;

(2) Deleting language that would have transferred the administrative placement of the Island Burial Councils to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and

(3) 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. 1087, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1087, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair