STAND. COM. REP. NO. 95

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 717

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 717 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to digitize its applicant, beneficiary, and lessee records and create a usable digital database by July 1, 2022, to increase departmental efficiency and reduce abuse of lease awards by lessees.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from four individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Your Committee finds that in June 2013, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands began implementing an electronic document imaging system that converted applicant and lessee records to digital media to easily store, access, track, and share documents from a secure and central location with the intent of improving accessibility and inquiry wait times and allow for the preservation of original documents. Your Committee also finds that the current waitlist for leases under the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has over twenty thousand applicants and applicants often wait years before receiving a lease offer. Your Committee further finds that digitizing the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' applicant, beneficiary, and lessee records will increase the efficiency and transparency of this process.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 717 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs,

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MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair