Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 3, 1 March 1991 — DHHL wants claims bill to include compensation [ARTICLE]

DHHL wants claims bill to include compensation

In her testimony regarding the governor's Individual Claims bill, House Bill 895 and its eompanion Senate Bill 1345, the Chair of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Hoaliku Drake told the House Committee on Water, Land Use and Hawaiian Affairs and the Senate Committee on Housing and Hawaiian Affairs in separate testimony that although the department supports the bill's passage it has "one recommended revision and several comments to offer."

Drake commented, In reviewing the bill, my eoneem is that the Board of Individual Claims Resolution itself has no authorization to provide compensation and funds are not included for this purpose. It is important that the process move quickly and with a degree of certainty as to the results expected at that level. With this in mind I recommend that H.B. No. 895 (and S.B. 1345, the Individual Claims bills) be amended to authorize the Board of Individual Claims Resolution to provide compensation up to $10,000 (for an individual elaim) to create a fund for this purpose, and with an appropriation of $500,000 for fiscal year 199192."

Drake added that compensation in excess of $10,000 would be submitted to the Legislature annually for an appropriation of funds. This approach is similar to that authorized under Chapter 351, HRS, Criminal Injuries Compensation, and Chapter 662, HRS, State Tort Liability Act.