As part of its mandate to advocate for Native Hawaiians, each year OHA submits a package of proposed bills to the Hawaii State Legislature, and the agency’s Board of Trustees also votes to take positions on a wide variety of legislation impacting the Hawaiian community.
The following are summaries of the bills to be introduced as OHA’s 2023 state legislative package. Please continue to check this page for updates on these measures. To receive alerts about opportunities to testify at upcoming hearings, please fill out the “STAY CONNECTED” form located in the sidebar to the right of this page.
Bill numbers and links to the bills’ status and text webpages on the Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s website will be posted when they become available.
OHA’s budget bill requests $3 million in state general fund appropriations for the fiscal year 2023-2024 and the fiscal year 2024-2025, both of which comprise the fiscal biennium. This appropriation request focuses specifically on OHA beneficiary advocacy, which includes funding for occupancy-ready housing needs; social services; educational improvement programs for Native Hawaiian students; legal services and legal representation to OHA beneficiaries; protections for ‘āina, wai, and kai; and ‘ohana economic stability.
This measure will continue OHA’s longstanding partnership with the State to advance OHA’s purpose in meeting the critical needs of Native Hawaiians, while simultaneously benefiting both OHA beneficiaries and Hawai‘i as a whole.
Allows the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority to approve the residential development on the nine parcels conveyed to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs pursuant to Act 15, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2012. Raises the building height limit and increases the maximum floor area ratio for residential development on three of the nine parcels. Exempts the residential developments on the nine parcels from the requirement to dedicate public facilities of land or facilities, or cash payments in lieu thereof, as a condition of development; the prohibition on sale or assignment of fee simple interest in land in the Kakaʻako Community Development District; and the prohibition on residential development in the Kakaʻako Makai area.
Appropriates funds for repairs of certain structures located on the nine parcels and for compensation relating to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ pro rata portion of income and proceeds from the public land trust.
OHA’s Legislative Package for the 32nd Legislative Session focuses on advancing the betterment of conditions of Native Hawaiians through continued support for OHA’s budgetary need.
OHA remains the principal public agency in the state responsible for the performance, development, and coordination of programs and activities relating to Native Hawaiians.
