2019 Legislative Accomplishments
1. KPAC engaged, trained and empowered Kanaka Maoli in the Hawaii State Legislative process at our ‘Navigating the Legislature’ community workshops. We held 4 Navigating the Legislature workshops. In addition to our regular workshops, KPAC coordinated an educational rally called “Aloha ‘Aina: Ma Uka to Ma Kai” (Love the Land from the Mountains to the Sea) at the Hawai’i State Capitol on the opening day of the Legislature on January 16, 2019. This educational rally was attended by 1,000 people and focused on raising awareness on protecting Mauna Kea and Kanaka Maoli national and kuleana lands.
2. KPAC educated Kanaka Maoli and the general public on legislation that impacted Kanaka Maoli and the voting record of elected officials by drafting, printing and distributing the 2019 Legislative Report Card in August 2019. The 2019 Legislative Report Card was printed in the Ka Wai Ola (https://www.oha.org/kwo) newsletter on September 1, 2019 and mailed to 66,000 households.
3. KPAC empowered Kanaka Maoli by encouraging them to register to vote by providing voter registration opportunities in their communities at all our Navigating the Legislature workshops through educational booths held at various events.
4. KPAC monitored measures at the Hawai’i State Legislature that dealt with Kanaka Maoli issues mainly Kanaka Maoli national and kuleana lands, militarization, Mauna Kea, intellectual property rights, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. KPAC also wrote and introduced measures that gave additional protections to Kanaka Maoli kuleana land owners and to the sacred summits of Mauna Kea which will be carried over to the 2020 legislative session. KPAC submitted testimonies on 23 measures for the 2019 legislative session and did three major campaigns in support of kuleana land owners, keeping the Kanaka Maoli national lands trust in tact, and providing additional protections for the summits of Mauna Kea. KPAC raised awareness on many issues, educated the public, and facilitated the submission thousands of testimonies this legislative session.
5. KPAC sponsored a well attended and educational “Protecting Kuleana Lands” Forum at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement’s Native Hawaiian Conference on September 24, 2019.
| Measure | Description | Position | Status |
| SB212 | Provides that a lessee of Hawaiian Homelands may use the value of the lease as collateral for a loan to build a dwelling on the tract of leased land; | OPPOSE | DIED |
| SB999 | Establishes the Hawaii aerospace development corporation to grow investments and job opportunities in the aerospace industry and for workforce development. | OPPOSE | DIED |
| SB1343 | Requires compliance with the federal Military Selective Service Act to be eligible for enrollment in a state-supported post-secondary institution, qualify for state financial assistance for post-secondary education, or be eligible for state or county employment or service. Provides exceptions. | OPPOSE | DIED |
| GM543 | Submitting for consideration and confirmation as the Director of the Department of Public Safety, Gubernatorial Nominee, NOLAN P. ESPINDA, for a term to expire at noon on 12-05-2022. | OPPOSE | PASSED |
| SB77 | Authorizes the Department of Budget and Finance to enter into a financing agreement in an amount not to exceed $125,000,000 to fund the local match for the Ala Wai Flood Risk Management Project. | OPPOSE | DIED |
| SB1451 | Reestablishes La Ku‘oko‘a, Hawaiian Recognition Day, as an official state holiday. | SUPPORT | DIED |
| SB1495 | Provides that where a quiet title action involves kuleana land, at the request of any defendant at the time the action was brought, the court shall order mandatory mediation with a goal of resolving the dispute and consolidation of separate actions commenced by the same plaintiff or multiple plaintiffs for the same real property in interest. | SUPPORT | DIED |
| SB190 | Appropriates funds for Fiscal Biennium 2019-2021 for operations of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs divisions. Includes operating budgets for Office of Trustees – OHA150; Administration – OHA160; and Beneficiary Advocacy – OHA175. (SD1) | SUPPORT | DIED |
| SB1446 | Requires the administrator of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to receive approval from the board for appointments of the chief financial officer, director of human resources, and attorney. | SUPPORT | DIED |
| SR48 | Requesting the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to conduct an independent fiscal audit of all Limited Liability Corporations created or controlled by the Office. | SUPPORT | PASSED |
| SR151 | Requesting the Office of Hawaiian affairs to complete the 2017 Independent financial audit and management review of OHA and its subsidiaries. | SUPPORT | PASSED |
| SCR184 | Requesting the United States Army Corps of Engineers, State of Hawai’i and the City and County of Honolulu to establish a working group to explore matters related to the Ala Wai Watershed. | SUPPORT | DIED |
| HB453 | Excludes lands set aside by the Governor to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and lands to which HPHA holds title from the definition of public lands in section 171-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes. | OPPOSE | DIED |
| HB1025 | Authorizes the Board of Land and Natural Resources to extend leases of public lands for commercial, industrial, resort, or government use upon approval of a proposed development agreement to make substantial improvements to the existing improvements. Sunsets on June 30, 2029. | OPPOSE | DIED |
| HB1326 | Allows holdovers of revocable water permits to continue until the pending application for a lease is resolved. Requires prompt execution of contested case proceedings for 1-year holdovers. | OPPOSE | DIED |
| HB600 | Provides that where a quiet title action involves kuleana land, any defendant may request mandatory mediation to attempt to resolve the dispute. | SUPPORT | DIED |