HR 186 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE AND CONSIDER THE TRANSFER OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN BURIAL SITE MANAGEMENT UNDER CHAPTER 6E, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, FROM THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIVISION TO THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.

This House Resolution (HR 186) requests the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) to convene a working group to examine transferring management of Native Hawaiian burial sites from the State Historic Preservation Division to OHA. The bill does not change laws but asks OHA to study whether moving oversight of these sites - currently governed under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 6E - would better protect cultural practices. The resolution cites previous findings that current management has failed to adequately protect burial sites and aligns with OHA’s statutory role as Hawaii’s principal agency for Native Hawaiian programs. It focuses on procedural review, not policy implementation.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HR186_HD1 → HR186_HD2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill text was reformatted from a traditional legislative document layout to a modern digital document structure, with the substantive policy content remaining identical. The resolution requests the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to form a working group to study transferring Native Hawaiian burial site management from the State Historic Preservation Division to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, including specific requirements for working group composition and reporting timelines.

TECHNICAL

Document formatting changed from traditional legislative markup to modern digital document structure with metadata headers and footer information.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific working group composition requirements including two members from State Historic Preservation Division, two from Office of Hawaiian Affairs, one member from each Island Burial Council, and five community members with expertise in protecting Native Hawaiian burial sites.

Added specific working group responsibilities including identifying transferable duties, considering resources and feasibility, developing implementation plans, and recommending legislative improvements.

TIMELINE

Added requirement that the working group submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Resolution adopted in final form.

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Adopted as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Woodson excused (2).

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1850) as amended in HD 2, recommending adoption.

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Hussey, Muraoka, Ward excused (4).

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1694) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to JHA.

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to WAL, JHA, referral sheet 22

lower

Mar 7, 2025

Introduced

Offered

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors