STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2985

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2397

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 1, 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 prohibit lessees who sell or transfer their interest in a Hawaiian Home Lands tract for personal gain from being placed on any subsequent waiting list maintained by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for an additional lease.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from five individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Your Committee finds that native Hawaiian beneficiaries of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands should be able to enter the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act Program with a reasonable expectation of obtaining a lease. However, certain native Hawaiian beneficiaries eligible for a lease pursuant to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act 1920, as amended, acquired a lease, sold or transferred their interest in the lease, and then placed their name on the waiting list for a second lease of Hawaiian Home Lands, which has exacerbated the issue that many native Hawaiians have not received a lease offer. This measure ensures fairness in the distribution of leases to all beneficiaries.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of April 14, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair