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, which includes funding for a Public Land Trust working group, has been contentious: trustees and public commenters objected to language they say could enable a "global settlement" that would finalize state–OHA claims over ceded land. The committee’s action preserves OHA’s ability to push for an audit/inventory and for annual payment modeling while resisting language that would finalize a settlement without full board review.

Votes at a glance (formal motions recorded during the meeting):

- Approval of minutes for the Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment meeting of Feb. 19, 2025. Motion: approve minutes. Mover: Trustee Alapa; Second: Trustee Souza. Outcome: passed (7 yes).

- Matrix 2 (positions on bills naming OHA). Motion: adopt and amend staff recommendations; if committee amendments to SB 903 are not adopted by the legislature, staff is authorized to oppose SB 903 rather than merely comment. Mover: Trustee Ahuna; Second: Trustee Alapa. Vote: 9–0 (Ayes: Trustees Ahuna, Akapa, Akina, Alapa, Kahele, Lindsay, Souza, Wahei, Chair Galutaria).

- Matrix 3 (public land trust bills). Motion: adopt staff recommendations. Outcome: 9–0.

- Matrix 4 (natural resources and traditional practices). Motion: adopt staff recommendations. Outcome: 9–0.

- Matrix 5 (Native Hawaiian housing). Motion: adopt staff recommendations. Outcome: 9–0.

- Matrix 6 (Native Hawaiian health). Motion: adopt staff recommendations. Outcome: 9–0.

- Matrix 7 (Native Hawaiian education). Motion: adopt staff recommendations. Outcome: 9–0.

- Matrix 8 (economic development). Motion: adopt staff recommendations. Outcome: 9–0.

- Matrix 9 (HRS Chapter 6E — iwi kūpuna / repatriation matters). Motion: adopt staff recommendations. Outcome: 9–0.

Committee discussion and conditions: Committee members and staff clarified that OHA’s testimony prefers removing language that would convert a working‑group audit and inventory into a final settlement. Staff said they support using SB 903 as a funding vehicle for an independent audit and inventory if settlement language is stricken and if the working group’s mandate is limited to determining an annual payment formula. "Our testimony opposes the language regarding final settlement," staff told trustees, but added the bill contains funding for the Public Land Trust Working Group, which the agency wants to preserve in amended form.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with the legislative strategy described by trustees — pursuing amendments in committee and, if necessary, opposing SB 903 in conference — and continue to file testimony or amendments consistent with the adopted matrices. The motions recorded above were made during the April 2 committee meeting and recorded in the official meeting minutes.