STAND. COM. REP. NO. 110

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 740

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 S.B. No. 740 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 digitize its applicant, beneficiary, and lessee records and create an interactive digital database software program to be completed and available for use no later than July 1, 2024.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Keaukaha Pana‘ewa Farmers Association, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Hui Kako‘o ‘Āina Ho‘opulapula, Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that while basic Department of Hawaiian Home Lands applicant waiting lists are available to download, the details, including whether the person has applied for multiple leases, been denied a prior lease, or been skipped over, are not readily accessible. Your Committee further finds that if a beneficiary seeks to determine the beneficiary's status, finding and gathering that information can require weeks of work. Therefore, this measure will require the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to compile all relevant lease information into a database to improve efficiency.

Your Committee has heard testimony from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands expressing concerns that the July 1, 2024, deadline to create the interactive digital database software program is unfeasible, and that additional time and funding for a phased implementation plan would provide a more practical solution. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands also testified that their Phase 1 estimated cost for the integrated information system was $3,000,000. Your Committee finds that, as the digital database is intended to be a part of a broader strategic plan for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Department's concerns have merit.

Your Committee also has heard testimony from Hui Kako‘o ‘Āina Ho‘opulapula expressing concerns that the background information in the purpose section of this measure related to lessee abuses of the Hawaiian Home Lands program should not form the basis for this measure. Hui Kako‘o ‘Āina Ho‘opulapula testified that the purpose of this measure should be solely for the provision of clear, transparent, current, and timely information for beneficiaries and the public.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to complete an assessment and report on the feasibility of creating an interactive digital database software program and to submit their report to the Legislature by July 1, 2024; and

(2) Amending section 1 to clarify that this measure's purpose is for transparency and not to address lessee abuse of the Hawaiian Home Lands program.

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. 740, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 740, 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