STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2134

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2780

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2780 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to complete an assessment and report on the feasibility of digitizing its applicant, beneficiary, and lessee records and create an interactive database software program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Hoʻomana Pono, LLC; and five individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that it is the obligation of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to develop and deliver land to native Hawaiian beneficiaries. However, it is difficult for the Department to fulfill this mission as its information systems are outdated and spread across multiple locations. Beneficiaries seeking to determine their status may spend weeks finding and gathering that information. This measure will assist the Department in implementing an interactive digital database, which would improve efficiency within the Department.

Your Committee notes that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is currently in the process of modernizing its system and is seeking an estimated $6,000,000 for implementation of the interactive digital database.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands shall complete an interactive digitized beneficiary assessment in place of assessing and reporting on the feasibility of creating an interactive digital database;

(2) Requiring the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to complete implementation of the interactive digitized data within two years of the effective date of this measure;

(3) Directing the appropriation of unspecified amount of funds for the interactive beneficiary assessment and implementation of the digital database; and

(4) 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 S.B. No. 2780, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2780, 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,

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MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair