Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 12, 1 December 2014 — LEGISLATIVE REVIEW2014 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW2014

¦ Major milestones for Native Hawaiian health and cultural protection became law in 2014, after a largely positive session at the state Legislature this year. OHA enjoyed a mostly successful session of legislative advocacy. For the first time in five legislative sessions, none of the bills opposed by OHA passed out of the Legislature. OHA staff, with the support of partner organizations and community members, also successfully advocated for two measures that were included in OHA's 2014 Legislative Package. As part of its mandate to advocate for Native Hawaiians, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs introduces a legislative package each year to advance the interests of Native Hawaiians. This year, the following OHA bills were passed by the Legislature, and signed into law by the governor:

Act 155 (HB 1616 HD1SD1)

This new law amended the state health-planning statute for the first time in nearly 30 years, bringing it up to date with current best practices in health planning. In doing so, it allows state agencies to plan around and invest resources in addressing the social determinants of health, otherwise known as the systemic, circumstantial factors that can greatly influence health outcomes

of communrtres and mdrvrduals. secondly, rt k. aliens state policy with federal policy that

codifies the longstanding federal commitment to raising Native Hawaiian health to the highest level, and expresses the special relationship between Native Hawaiians and the federal government. Lastly, this law directs agencies to specifically address the health disparities of Native Hawaiians, other Pacific

Wr Islanders and Filipinos, communities ^ identified as particularly health-vulnera-ble in a recent report by the John A. Bums School of Medicine.

Act 104 HB 1618 HD1 SD1 CD1

This law requires one member of the Board of Land and Natural Resources to have demonstrated expertise in Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices. As the state agency entmsted with managing the state's natural and cultural resources, the BLNR regularly makes criti-

cal decisions that impact Native Hawaiians. A member possessing Native Hawaiian cultural expertise would

I assist the BLNR in making decisions that appropriately reflect Native Hawaiian issues and concerns, including traditional and customary practices, the public land trust and Native Hawaiian cultural values that are intrinsically tied to the 'aina. SB 2874 HD1, a bill in the governor's administrative package, contains a substantially similar requirement, and also passed this session with OHA's support.

Meanwhile, a bill that would have allowed OHA to seek residential development on its Kaka'ako Makai lands received considerable attention by both the Legislature and the public, generating debate regarding the role of "appropriate" development in Hawai'i as well as the right of Native Hawaiians to determine the best use of their own lands. In its final House draft, Senate Bill 3122 SD 2 HD 2 would have removed residential development prohibitions on three of OHA's nine parcels in Kaka'ako Makai, providing a substantial and reliable revenue stream for the agency's programs and services statewide. Despite substantial testimony in support and two mass rallies with hundreds of participants, the bill died during the final minutes of the conference committee deadline. Each year, OHA public policy staff not only develop and introduce a legislative package on behalf of OHA's beneficiaries, but also review thousands of bills introduced during session and track and testify on hundreds of measures relevant to the Native Hawaiian community. However, our success depends not only on our own efforts, but on the willingness of the community to participate in the legislative process as well. To leam more about OHA's advocacy work, and how you too can become an agent of change, please visit www.kamakakoi.com. 2014 Annual Report

Office of Hawaiian Affairs | Ka'a ka 'ili'ili i ke ala kalai i na lala o ka nahele