STAND. COM. REP. NO. 582-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2046

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2046 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Commission to coordinate and promote initiatives that support the use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission; and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that establishing the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Commission will help provide statewide coordination and leadership to promote, protect, and strengthen the use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as one of the State's official languages. Your Committee further finds that a dedicated commission can support language revitalization efforts by aligning public and private initiatives, encouraging education and daily use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and ensuring the language continues to evolve to meet contemporary needs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the membership of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Commission to:

(A) Delete inclusion of the chairs of the standing committees of the Legislature with subject matter jurisdiction encompassing Hawaiian affairs or their designees; and

(B) Include a native speaker of the Niihau dialect;

(2) Inserting a sunset date of December 2, 2030, to coincide with the end of the next Governor's term;

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

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2046, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2046, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair