Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 5, 1 May 2006 — Legislative update [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Legislative update

Few Hawaiian bills move forward as session wraps up

By Derek Ferrar Public lnfūrmatiūn Specialist As the state Legislature heads for its scheduled adjournment in early May, one of the measures proposed this year by OHA has passed and two more are close to passage. They are: OHA strategic plan On April 3, Gov. Linda Lingle signed into law a measure revising a 25-year-old state law that had required OHA to prepare a master plan

for the entire Hawaiian eommunity. Instead, the revision will allow the agency's current strategic plan to fulfill the master plan requirement. OHA officials proposed the bill because they said it was unreasonable to expect OHA to coordinate master planning for other agencies. The laek of the previously required master plan had been a regular target of criticism in the State Auditor's periodic reports on OHA. Ceded land revenue As Ka Wai Ola went to press, both the Senate and the House had voted in favor of bills to approve the ceded-lands revenue agreement reached

between the governor and OHA earlier this year, and a conferenee committee made up of members of both bodies was scheduled to meet to resolve minor differences in the two versions of the bill. Under the terms of the agreement, OHA wouldreceive $15.1 million annually, in addition to a one-time payment of $17.5 million for certain undisputed past-due amounts. Both the Senate and House versions of the bill include an amendment that would require the state to provide an annual accounting of its ceded lands revenues. Cultural kīpuka A surviving OHA resolution would urge the state and county governments to take measures to preserve traditional lifestyles in rural Hawaiian enclaves, or "cultural kīpuka." Other measures relating to Hawaiian issues that remain on the table include:

• Mauna 'Ala upkeep: Also scheduled for conference conunittee was a measure that would create a dedicated source of funding for Mauna 'Ala, the resting plaee of Hawaiian royalty. Proponents of the bill said such an ongoing funding source is needed to deal with problems such as the current disrepair of the site's restrooms, a rock wall and other features. • 'Iewe (placenta) possession: The Legislature has forwarded to the governor a measure dubbed the "'lewe Bill," whieh would require hospitals to release the placenta to families after a birth, as long as the mother tests negative for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. After the state recently began classifying placenta as infectious waste, several hospitals had been preventing families from taking home the 'iewe, whieh according to customary Hawaiian practice is usually buried. • 'Opihi ban: A confer-

enee committee was scheduled to work out differences in a measure that would ban the commercial sale of 'opihi. Proponents of the measure say it is urgently needed to prevent the rapid disappearanee of the Hawaiian delicacy. Lawmakers were trying to iron out differences over provisions that would exempt the island of Ni'ihau from the ban. •Bioprospecting: Lawmakers were still considering a resolution requesting the governor to set up a commission to study issues surrounding "bioprospecting," whieh involves deriving scientific or other profits from the use of Hawai'i's unique plants, sea life and other "biological assets." Recognizing that such resources are "culturally, spiritually, medicinally, and otherwise significant to Native Hawaiians," the resolution suggests that the commission be administered by OHA. S