Bill > HB295

This bill amends the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 to allow a living beneficiary's place on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' waitlist to be transferred to a qualified application successor if the beneficiary dies before receiving a land tract. A "qualified application successor" must be at least one-fourth Hawaiian and be a specific relative of the deceased beneficiary, including a spouse, child, grandchild, or sibling. If no such relatives exist, the successor can be a parent, widow/widower of a child or sibling, or a niece or nephew, who is also at least one-fourth Hawaiian. The bill modifies existing lease provisions to allow these qualified successors to receive leases for residential, agricultural, or pastoral lands, expanding the original language that only permitted native Hawaiians to receive such leases. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will have sole discretion in implementing this provision, and the changes are designed to provide more flexibility in transferring land rights within Hawaiian families. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 3000, or upon specific federal approvals, and includes provisions ensuring that existing rights and proceedings are not disrupted by the new law.

Housing and Urban Affairs, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=295&year=2026