Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 7, 1 July 2019 — 2019 OHA LEGISLATIVE REGAP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

2019 OHA LEGISLATIVE REGAP

G0VERNANCE

By Office of Hawaiian Affairs Another legislative session full of hopes, plans, controversy and compromise has wrapped up for the year. Below is a summary of several key bills — some that passed, others that did not — eaeh raising or seeking to address issues of great eoncern for the Hawaiian community. Eaeh of these measures, now passed by the Legislature, awaits the Governor's approval (or veto). For updates on the status of any of these measures, visit www. capitol.hawaii.gov. PASSED > HB172, OHA Budget: Offers an opportunity to eonhnue a long and successful partnership between the State of Hawai'i and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). Most recently, this partnership has enabled the State to more than quadruple the impact of the general funds that it appropriates to OHA for community programs, through OHA's strategic leveraging efforts. As a result of its passage, OHA ean continue leveraging state general funds with OHA trust funds in the areas of legal services, social services and education. > SB192, Unsecured Bail Option: An OHA package measure, offers judges the option to allow a defendant to satisfy their cash bail requirement by signing a promissory note instead of paying large sums of cash. Under this option, the finan-

eial consequences of bail would only burden a defendant and his or her family if the defendant actually failed to appear in court as required. It is aimed at reducing the severe and disproportionate consequences of cash bail on indigent defendants, their 'ohana and their communities, relieving the overcrowding of our detention facilities and saving significant taxpayer dollars. This option does not restrict judges' power to deny bail where there is a risk of flight or danger. > HB1552, Public Safety Oversight Commission/Bail Reform: Establishes a staffed commission to provide research support and oversight for the Department of Public Safety, to facilitate a transformation of our current punitive incarceration system into a rehabilitative and therapeutic model. This measure also contains an array of changes to our bail-setting system to make it more efficient and effective.

> SB1459, Surfing Commission: Establishes a temporary A commission to assist f

in creating a statewide I program to promote ■ the sport of surfing, ™ improve surfing safety and educate loeal people and visitors alike about surfing's Hawaiian roots.

f- Photo: Zak Noyle

SEE LEGISLATURE REGAPN ŪN PAGE 5

2ŪI9 LEGISLATIVE SESSIŪN Governor's Nominations - Passed > GM667, Confirming William Ailā as Deputy Directorof DHHL > GM571, Confirming Alapaki Nahale-ā to the U. H. Board of Regents > GM740, Confirming ūamien Barcarse as the Hawai'i County member on the State Board of Education > GM573, Confirming La'akea Poepoe to the Moloka'i lsland Burial Council > GM574, Confirming Lurline Naone-Salvador to the O'ahu lsland Burial Council > GM575, Confirming William Mills to the O'ahu lsland Burial Council > GM583, Confirming Randall Higa to the Hawai'i lsland Burial Council > GM610, Confirming Leahi Hall to the Maui and Lāna'i lsland Burial Council > GM669, Confirming Dane Maxwell to an additional term on the Maui and Lāna'i lsland Burial Council

LEGISLATURE RECAP Continued from page 4

> HB820, ALOHA Homes Program: Directs the Hawai'i Housing and Finance Development Corporation to formulate a plan for a program to provide lowcost condominium homes to be available for long-term leases to Hawai'i residents on state-owned lands near planned rail stations. > SB78, Charter School Pre-K Funding: In addition to establishing responsibilities

of the executive office on early learning, appropriates $4M over two fiscal years to keep open 1 8 Pre-Kindergar- * ten classrooms in charter schools, most of whieh are in Hawai-

ian-focused and Hawaiian 'n^ Language Immersion Program schools.

> HB1548, Rapid 'Ōhi'a Death Funding: Appropriates $750,000 for DLNR to study and develop strategies to combat rapid 'ōhi'a death. > HB1248, Vote by Mail: Establishes voting by mail statewide for future elections, starting with the 2020 eleehon. OHA notes that there will be voter service centers in all counties to accept personal delivery of ballots, allow

for same-day voter registration, and offer assistance to voters with special needs.

> SR146, 'Olelo Hawai'i Plan: In recognition of the U.N. declaration of 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, requests that the 'Aha Pūnana Leo bring together a eoalihon of Hawaiian-serving organizations and educational institutions to develop goals, strategies and measures for the next 35 years, to build on the successes of the 'Ōlelo Hawai'i revitalization movement and accelerate the normalization of 'Ōlelo Hawai'i.

N0T PASSED > HB1326, Water Rights: Would have allowed holders of controversial month-to-month :vocable permits to

- Phūt0' continue their long-term Friday diversion of large amounts of water, threatening the

public's interest in the valuable resource as well as Hawaiian practices and subsistence-based lifestyles dependent upon mauka-to-makai stream flow. > HB173/SB191/HB402, OHA's Pro Rata Share of Public Land Trust Revenue: HB173 and SB191, eompanion measures proposed in OHA's package, proposed to codify and strengthen reporting requirements for state agencies holding Puhlie Land

Trust lands and collecting Puhlie Land Trust revenues to whieh Native Hawaiians (via OHA) are entitled a share, HB402, a measure offered by the Hawaiian Legislative Caucus, would have immediately updated the amount of revenues directed to Native Hawaiians as their constitutional fair share of the Puhlie Land Trust proceeds. For more information on this issue, see www.oha.org/plt. > HB174/SB193, Hawaiian Health Practices Expert Membership on the State Council on Mental Health: Would have required a minimum number of seats on the Hawai'i State Mental Heahh Council to have experience with Native Hawaiian concepts of well-being, traditional healing and heahh practices and culturally-grounded mental heahh methodologies to guide the state in addressing the unique mental heahh challenges faced by the Hawaiian community including high rates of childhood abuse, suicidal ideation and depression. > HCR3/SCR2, Charter School Facilities Funding: An OHA package measure, would have requested the Charter School Commission to develop criteria for distribution of charter school facilities funding to highlight the state statute related to charter schools facilities funding, and move the state forward toward resolving the longstanding needs of the charter school community for adequate facilities funding. ■