Bill Text: HI HCR66 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requesting The Office Of Hawaiian Affairs To Report On Strategies For Native Hawaiian Rural Resiliency.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-08 - Referred to JHA, referral sheet 18 [HCR66 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-HCR66-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	66
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO REPORT ON STRATEGIES FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN RURAL RESILIENCY.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, safeguarding the character and identity of Hawaii's rural and remote communities is fundamental to the character, identity, and future of the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's rural and remote communities are under threat of erasure due to the ongoing challenges of rapid urbanization, gentrification, economic instability, limited resources, and limited access to essential services; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's rural and remote communities are historically disadvantaged, facing greater disparities in health care, education, food security, and economic opportunities in the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, despite these disproportionate challenges, Hawaii's rural and remote communities are resilient, highly adaptive, and tempered, with aspirations to address their problems while preserving their character and identity; and

 

     WHEREAS, historical barriers to addressing the disparities endured by Hawaii's rural and remote communities may be overcome through the use of technological advancements, providing innovative solutions in community-led economic development; and

 

     WHEREAS, the lack of economic opportunities in Hawaii's rural and remote communities forces trans-generational outmigration of residents, exacerbating vulnerabilities and accelerating the erasure of community character and identity; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's rural and remote communities comprise some of the last remaining bastions of intact and ecologically interconnected native Hawaiian culture, serving as treasured and living archives of wisdom for the benefit of present and future generations; and

 

     WHEREAS, protecting the rural character and identity of these communities is essential for the State to uphold its obligations to the Native Hawaiian people; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's catastrophic loss of biodiversity, significantly attributed to urbanization, has led to its recognition as the "endangered species capital of the world"; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's rural and remote communities are critical buffer areas between urban sprawl, serving as vital green infrastructure and corridors for the conservation and bolstering of natural environmental systems and resources; and

 

     WHEREAS, the green infrastructure provided by Hawaii's rural and remote communities is essential for Hawaii's resiliency in the face of existential threats like climate change; and

 

     WHEREAS, climate change will have a more severe impact on historically disadvantaged communities, which face disproportionate social vulnerabilities without adequate strategies and support; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's rural and remote communities are integral to the State's resilience against supply chain vulnerabilities, food insecurity, and crises, upholding critical infrastructure sectors, including food and agriculture; and

 

     WHEREAS, adequate solutions to the plight of Hawaii's rural and remote communities should be achieved through the responsible and appropriate intersection and participation of external and internal entities that seek to preserve each community's character and identity; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's rural and remote communities have the capacity to propose solutions to their challenges, provided their voices are amplified and heard and they receive the necessary resources and support, without disrupting the integrity of their unique character and identity; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, the Senate concurring, that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is requested to report on strategies for Native Hawaiian rural resiliency, including possible steps for the development of strategies that provide for:

 

     (1)  Innovative culturally appropriate housing models that address housing and economic development needs, while maintaining the character and aspirations of Native Hawaiian rural communities;

 

     (2)  Innovative culturally appropriate health care solutions; and

 

     (3)  Preservation and protection of Native Hawaiian cultural resources and their interdependent traditional and customary practices; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; Mayor of Hawaii County; Mayor of Maui County; Mayor of Kauai County; Chair of the Honolulu City Council; Chair of the Hawaii County Council; Chair of the Maui County Council; and Chair of the Kauai County Council.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

OHA; Native Hawaiian Rural Resiliency; Report