Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 6, 1 June 2003 — Legislative 'report card' -- [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Legislative 'report card' --

Bills concerning Hawaiian issues that passed, died

By Sterling Kini Wong OHA monitored 165 pieces of legislation and furnished testimony in roughly 110 legislative hearings in the 2003 Hawai'i State Legislative Regular Session. Six of the nine Senate and House eompanion bills included in OHA's legislative bill package passed the legislature and are awaiting the signature of the governor. Listed helow are eight salient pieces of legislation that OHA observed. OHA supported all legislation listed helow that passed. Bills that were contained in OHA'slegislative bill package are marked with an asterisk. Bills that passed the legislature: HB 1300 Budget ofthe Office Hawaiian Affairs* This bill, whieh is awaiting the governor's signature, provides the operating budget of OHA for the fiscal years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. SB 1154 Hui 'Imi Ad.visory CounciI* Signed into law as Act 42, this legislation permanently reauthorizes the Hui 'Imi Advisory Oouneil and places the eouneil in OHA for administrative purposes only. The eouneil will act as a liaison between public and private entities serving the Hawaiian community in the planning and development of collaborative public and private endeavors. The eouneil will then report to the legislature in 2005. SB 1156 OHA's Hawaiian Registry* OHA will establish and maintain a registry of all Hawaiians, locally and overseas. The registry will include Hawaiians who ean provide genealogical records sufficient to establish decent from the native peoples inhabiting the Hawaiian islands in 1778. This bill is awaiting the governor's signature. HB 1307 Completed the payment ofbcick revenue from ceded leineh to OHA * Signed in to law as Act 34 by the governor, this bill

appropriated $9.5 million from certain state funds to OHA for back revenue from July 1, 2001. SB 1594 Commission on Wciter Resource Mcincigement Pending the governor' s signature, this bill will add a member with substantial experience in traditional Hawaiian water resource management techniques to the Commission on Water Resource Management. Bills that did not pass the legislature: HB 295 Public Lcinds Resolution Task Force This bill would have established the Public Lands Resolution Advisory Task Force, the intent of whieh was to foster a cooperative effort between OHA, the legislature, the executive office, the federal government and the public, to explore possible resolutions to issues related to the ceded land revenue entitlements of OHA. OHA opposed this bill on the grounds that it was a premature and an unfunded mandate. SB 1151 Regcirding Ceded Lanel Revenue Entitlements of OHA* OHA supported the original version of this bill that would have specified whieh lands OHA could receive revenue from, and clarified a formula for the payment process to OHA of revenue derived from ceded lands. OHA and the Hawaiian community vehemently protested the amended language of HD2 that stated that ceded lands would be valued as raw, undeveloped land, as if there were no buildings and improvements to the land. OHA will reintroduce this bill in the 2004 legislative session. SCR 111 Privatization ofCeded Lcinds OHA opposed this resolution that would have granted the Board of Land and Natural Resources the authority to lease submerged lands at Honokohau Harbor on Hawai'i island to private entities for eommercial, recreational, educational and research purposes. ■

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