STAND. COM. REP. NO. 111

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 545

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 545 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, with the assistance of the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, to digitize its beneficiary waiting lists and other related data by creating a digital database of its applicant, beneficiary, and lessee records and other relevant information.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaii Financial Services, LLC; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Your Committee finds that while basic Department of Hawaiian Home Lands applicant waiting lists are available for download on its website, the exact details of each applicant, including whether the applicant has applied for multiple leases, been denied a prior lease, or been skipped over, is not readily accessible. Your Committee also notes that beneficiary records are spread across multiple locations. If a beneficiary seeks to determine their status, finding and gathering this information can take weeks. Your Committee further finds that compiling applicant information into a single database will help increase efficiency and reduce lease award abuse by lessees.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 545, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 545, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair