OHA committee adopts staff positions on nine legislative matrices; board instructs staff to oppose SB 903 if settlement language remains

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment voted on April 2 to adopt staff recommendations on multiple legislative matrices, approving positions on bills across resources, housing, health, education, economic development and repatriation policy.

Most actions were passed unanimously. In a key vote on Matrix 2 (positions on bills naming OHA), the committee directed staff to seek amendments to Senate Bill 903 and instructed that, if the committee’s proposed amendments are not adopted by the legislature, OHA staff should oppose the bill in conference rather than submit a comment. The motion — to adopt staff recommendations for Matrix 2 and to change the committee’s position on SB 903 from "comment" to "oppose" if settlement language remained — passed 9‑0.

Why it matters: The matrices capture OHA’s formal positions on a wide range of pending bills. SB 903,…