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Lawmakers hear broad public input on Kalaupapa transition; committee adopts amendments and advances bill
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Summary
Community groups, beneficiaries and county officials urged careful beneficiary consultation and protections for descendants during a long hearing on SB1432 SD2 HD1; the committee adopted proposed amendments and advanced the measure.
The committee heard extended testimony on SB1432 SD2 HD1 (Kalaupapa / Kalawao County transition), with multiple witnesses urging the legislature to ensure beneficiary consultation and cultural stewardship before altering Department of Health responsibilities or establishing a State Historical Area.
De Grey Vanderbilt, testifying in person from Molokai, described long-running community engagement gaps and urged inclusion of Kaohana o Kalaupapa and DHHL in transition planning. Sibyl Lopez, speaking for the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homes associations on Molokai, opposed absorption of Kalawao County into Maui County without beneficiary consultation and stressed fiduciary responsibilities under the Hawaiian Homes Act. Councilmember Kiani Rollins Fernandez (speaking in an individual capacity) asked the committee to strike language creating a State Historical Area and recommended a delayed effective date tied to the last resident's passing and a two‑year transition timeline to allow planning and appropriation requests.
Valerie Monson, executive director of Ka Ohana o Kalaupapa, urged ongoing involvement by community organizations that focus on descendant connections and visitor programs, warning that agency‑only planning risks overlooking the human and cultural elements tied to Kalaupapa.
Several testifiers urged that any changes to management avoid precluding future local self‑governance options and that funding be available for the transfer of jurisdiction. Multiple witnesses asked that community beneficiaries be included in statutory language establishing membership on transition or advisory bodies.
On the floor, the area representative proposed a package of amendments that would remove the creation of a State Historical Area, add reporting requirements for DHHL and DLNR to the Department of Health's annual report on activities related to Kalawao County, change certain timelines and add a severability clause. The committee adopted the area representative's amendments and recommended passage with those changes.
What happens next: The committee's recommendation advances SB1432 with the adopted amendments and a deferral date; the committee record will include proposed reporting requirements and the 2‑year transition timing tied to the last resident noted in testimony.
