STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1214-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2657

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2657, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MAKAHIKI COMMEMORATION DAY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish Makahiki Commemoration Day.

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

Your Committee finds that the Makahiki season is an ancient Hawaiian New Year festival that honors the god Lono, celebrates bountiful harvest, and is a time for peace, resting, and feasting. Due to its great cultural importance in Hawaiian tradition, your Committee believes that the State should designate a day of each year to celebrate the opening of the Makahiki season.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider designating Makahiki Commemoration Day as one of the kapu Hua days of Mōhalu, Hua, or Akua of the lunar month of ʻIkuā and consider inserting provisions to establish a process to determine and publicize the equivalent day of the Gregorian calendar on which the State should commemorate the Makahiki season.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2657, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2657, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs,

____________________________

ADRIAN K. TAM, Chair