Bill Text: HI SB2678 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Honouliuli Camp Site; Advisory Group; Appropriation
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2012-07-06 - (S) Act 235, 7/6/2012 (Gov. Msg. No. 1338). [SB2678 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2012-SB2678-Amended.html
STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2634
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2678
S.D. 2
Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui
President of the Senate
Twenty-Sixth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2012
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2678, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HONOULIULI,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to preserve the World War II internment and prisoner of war camp situated in Honouliuli.
Specifically, the measure:
(1) Provides state support towards preservation of the site of the World War II internment and prisoner of war camp in Honouliuli;
(2) Establishes a mechanism to leverage county, state, federal, and private funding of an educational resource center at the site; and
(3) Memorializes the struggle for civil rights by Hawaii's people.
Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission; and Historic Hawaii Foundation.
Your Committee finds that until recently, little was known about the location of World War II Japanese internment camps in Hawaii, and many people were unaware that any internment camp sites remained in the State. The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii began researching these sites over ten years ago in an effort to determine where these camps were located and what, if any, evidence of them remains. Various archaeological surveys determined the location, significance, historic properties, and area boundary of the Honouliuli site, and after conducting an archaeological survey of the former internment camp site, the Honouliuli site was designated on the Hawaii Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Your Committee further finds that the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii has been working with various organizations to preserve and memorialize the Japanese internment camp experience in Hawaii. Your Committee understands that the National Park Service has awarded grant money to Hawaii-based organizations to fund work to preserve and interpret Japanese internment camp sites throughout the State. Your Committee further finds that these efforts should be expanded with additional support from the State to help bring the history of Hawaii's wartime experience to life for residents and visitors.
Your Committee notes that various issues regarding the advisory group are not addressed in the measure, including:
(1) The number of members to be appointed to the advisory group by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate;
(2) Whether the members of the advisory group should represent certain interest groups or stakeholders;
(3) Whether the advisory group should have a chairperson and how the chairperson should be chosen; and
(4) Issue relating to the frequency and location of the advisory group meetings.
Your Committee requests that the proponents of the measure address these issues in future testimony presented to the Legislature on this measure.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the appropriation amounts to unspecified sums;
(2) Providing that a representative from the Department of Land and Natural Resources State Historic Preservation Division be included in the advisory group; and
(3) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of style and clarity.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2678, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2678, S.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,
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____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair |
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