Bill > HCR94

This Concurrent Resolution requests the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), a state agency established to manage resources for the benefit of Native Hawaiians, to form a task force composed of Hawaiian leaders, legal experts, and community members to explore a significant change in how its governing board, the Board of Trustees, is selected. Currently, trustees are elected by voters, but this resolution proposes investigating whether an appointed system, where qualified individuals are chosen by an appointing authority rather than elected, would better fulfill OHA's legal responsibility, known as a fiduciary duty, to improve the lives of Native Hawaiians and manage its resources effectively for their benefit. The task force will consider who should have the power to appoint trustees and how to identify the most qualified candidates for these crucial roles, with OHA required to report its findings and any proposed legislative changes to the state legislature by early 2018.