STAND. COM. REP. NO. 584-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2223

H.D. 2

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. 2223, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Allow the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to conduct a review of the effect of a proposed project on lands under its jurisdiction on historic properties and burial sites, subject to certain requirements; and

(2) Appropriate funds to establish positions in the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for the reviews.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Koʻolau Foundation; CARES; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that under existing law, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is required to consult with the Department of Land and Natural Resources regarding the effect of any proposed project relating to lands under the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' jurisdiction on historic properties or burial sites. Your Committee recognizes that this review process is delaying projects that would provide housing for beneficiaries of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Streamlining this process by allowing the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to assume review of these projects, as intended by this measure, will allow the construction of these proposed projects to be expedited.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands must provide the Hawaiian home lands historic preservation specialist's or consultant's comments, recommendations, and decisions to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to be incorporated into the historic preservation digital document management system and library; and

(2) 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. 2223, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2223, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair