STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1206

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1508

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1508, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys to:

(1) The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to improve Native Hawaiian communities and culture through various assistance services, including but not limited to services that offer Native Hawaiian historic preservation, business training, entrepreneurship, and mentoring; and

(2) The Department of Land and Natural Resources for repatriation and reburials of Native Hawaiians nationally and internationally.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; Kapolei Chamber of Commerce; and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that small business education and training programs for Native Hawaiian communities can help empower new entrepreneurs and assist them in navigating the complex and highly technical aspects of licensing, capital raising, personnel, e-commerce, and business strategy. Your Committee further finds that Native Hawaiian communities can especially benefit from services such as a virtual marketplace and a collaborative co-working space, which can respectively serve as an effective sales and marketing platform and an incubator where ideas, innovation, and networking can flourish. Therefore, this measure appropriates moneys to allow the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide important small business and entrepreneurship services. This measure also separately appropriates moneys to allow the Department of Land and Natural Resources to assist Native Hawaiians in repatriating iwi kupuna.

Your Committee also notes the testimony of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which expressed their belief that they are the proper agency to administer the programs and funds provided by this measure as the principal public agency in the State responsible for the performance, development, and coordination of programs and activities relating to Native Hawaiians. Your Committee also notes the testimony of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, which requested that, should they receive the funding appropriated by this measure for the repatriation of iwi kupuna, that one full-time-equivalent position be established within the State Historic Preservation Division to carry out the activity effectively and efficiently. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider further examining whether the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is in fact the proper agency for this measure. Alternatively, should your Committee on Ways and Means decide that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Department of Land and Natural Resources are best-suited to carry out this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for additional staffing.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 H.B. No. 1508, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1508, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair