SR 130 Hawaii Senate · 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 Senate Resolution (SR 130) requests the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) to convene a working group to examine and consider transferring management of Native Hawaiian burial sites (under Chapter 6E of Hawaii Revised Statutes) from the State Historic Preservation Division to OHA. It does not change laws but asks OHA to study whether moving this responsibility would better protect burial sites, citing a 2023 working group report that identified failures in current management. The resolution references Hawaii’s constitutional duty to protect Native Hawaiian cultural practices and OHA’s statutory role in advancing Native Hawaiian interests. As a procedural resolution, it seeks to initiate a review process, not enact policy changes.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SR130 → SR130_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a traditional legislative document layout to a digital template format, with the main substantive change being the addition of specific directives for the working group to examine transferring burial site management from the State Historic Preservation Division to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The scope of the working group's mandate was expanded to include identifying which duties can be transferred, assessing feasibility, developing an implementation plan, and considering whether previous recommendations should be implemented.

Scope change

The scope was expanded to include a formal request for the working group to develop an implementation plan and timeline for transferring burial site management responsibilities, whereas the original version only requested the convening of a working group to examine the transfer.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific directives requiring the working group to identify transferable duties, assess feasibility, develop an implementation plan with timeline, and consider previous recommendations from the 2022 Burial Sites Working Group.

Added specific composition requirements for the working group, including representatives from the State Historic Preservation Division, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Island Burial Councils, community members with expertise, and Hui Iwi Kuamo'o.

TIMELINE

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

TECHNICAL

Changed document format from traditional legislative layout to digital template format with metadata fields and altered capitalization in the resolution title.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from HWN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1566) with recommendation of adoption, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HWN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Richards, San Buenaventura, Ihara, Keohokalole, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN has scheduled a public hearing on 04-01-25 1:10PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 12, 2025

Committee

Referred to HWN.

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Introduced

Offered.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors