Bill > SB1600

This bill appropriates $1,000,000 to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to address ongoing concerns about the public land trust inventory and accounting. The funding is specifically intended to hire staff, purchase equipment, and retain independent third-party professionals to conduct a comprehensive review of the Public Land Trust Information System (PLTIS) and current reporting practices. The bill highlights several key issues, including a lack of independent audit of land inventories, self-reported data from state agencies that is not verified, and incomplete tracking of lands, particularly federal lands and parcels without tax map key numbers. The appropriation aims to support the Public Land Trust Working Group's (PLTWG) mandate to account for all ceded lands, track income and proceeds from the public land trust, and determine the 20% pro rata share owed to OHA for the betterment of Native Hawaiians. Notably, the bill exempts purchases made with these funds from standard state procurement regulations, allowing for more flexible acquisition of necessary services and resources. The funding is based on previous costs of similar reviews, such as OHA's 2015-2016 financial review and the development of the PLTIS, which totaled approximately $495,786.

Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=1600&year=2026