STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1690

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.R. No. 118

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.R. No. 118 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO ESTABLISH A COLLABORATIVE WORKING GROUP TO SURVEY, IDENTIFY, AND MONITOR CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SHORELINES IMPACTED BY EROSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish a collaborative working group to survey, identify, and monitor culturally sensitive shorelines impacted by erosion.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and Hawaii Climate Change and Health Working Group.

Your Committee finds Native Hawaiian iwi kūpuna were historically interred along sandy shoreline areas, which are increasingly threatened by coastal erosion. Your Committee further finds that iwi kūpuna discovered through shoreline erosion are often located above the high-water mark, which makes it difficult to preserve them in place. Your Committee believes that as more of the State's coastline is threated by coastal erosion, there is a need to develop procedures for the respectful and culturally appropriate treatment of these iwi kūpuna, including surveying, identifying, and monitoring culturally sensitive shorelines impacted by erosion.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the appropriate Island Burial Council is the designated entity responsible for the disposition of inadvertently discovered iwi kūpuna;

(2) Amending the composition of the working group; 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 Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 118, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 118, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair