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OHA committee backs bill to support island burial councils with stipends, quorum and nomination changes
Summary
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs committee approved a measure for OHA’s 2026 legislative package to allow stipends for island burial council members, reduce quorum requirements to a majority of field council seats, and extend nomination deadlines from 30 to 75 days to improve participation.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ committee on Beneficiary Empathy and Empowerment approved a proposal to strengthen island burial councils by allowing OHA to offer stipends to geographic-region members, lowering quorum requirements and extending nomination timelines.
The measure, presented to the committee during the OHA session at the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs convention, would amend Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 6 to permit OHA (if it chooses) to provide stipends for island burial council members; reduce IBC quorum rules so a majority of field council seats suffices for business; and lengthen the time to nominate replacements when vacancies occur from 30 to 75 days. A presenter told trustees the changes aim to “strengthen the island burial councils to ensure that Kanaka Maoli descendants have a voice and guide decisions on the treatment of kūpuna.”
Why it matters: presenters said island burial councils currently face persistent challenges filling seats and meeting quorums, which limits their ability to make timely decisions about iwi kūpuna. The stipend and procedural changes are framed as measures to improve recruitment, retention and participation so descendants can participate in culturally appropriate oversight.
Trustee action: A motion to include the measure in OHA’s 2026 legislative package was made and approved by the committee after a roll call. The transcript records the motion and a subsequent roll call leading to approval; specific vote tallies were not specified in the record.
Next steps: The approved measure will be advanced as part of OHA’s legislative package to be considered by the full Board of Trustees and during the 2026 legislative session.
