STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3771

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2309

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2309, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT, 1920,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended, to include sibling's children as qualifying relatives of lessees for the purposes of lease transfer and lease successorship, in the same manner currently allowed for spouses, children, grandchildren, and siblings.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that only certain relatives may qualify for Hawaiian home lands lease successorship or transfer under existing law. However, some lease beneficiaries do not have a qualifying native Hawaiian relative to succeed or transfer their lease. This measure will broaden the pool of qualifying native Hawaiian relatives to include nieces and nephews, allowing for an expanded opportunity to maintain beneficiary leases within beneficiary families.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of March 22, 2075, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2309, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2309, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair