HR 118 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO ESTABLISH A COLLABORATIVE WORKING GROUP TO SURVEY, IDENTIFY, AND MONITOR CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SHORELINES IMPACTED BY EROSION.

This House Resolution (HR 118) requests Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources to create a collaborative working group to address coastal erosion exposing Native Hawaiian burial sites (iwi kūpuna) at culturally sensitive shorelines. The group, including representatives from DLNR, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, county governments, and burial councils, will survey affected areas - such as Lahilahi Beach Park and Kaulahao Beach - and develop plans to protect and reinter remains. The resolution requires the group to identify suitable reinternment sites, recommend funding for protective measures like secure vaults, and submit a report to the Legislature by early 2026.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HR118 → HR118_HD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a House Resolution into a House Document (HD1) with updated metadata. The substantive policy content remains largely the same, though one key change was made to the working group composition: the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands representative was added, while the Kauai County representative was moved from position 8 to position 9. The designated entity for handling discovered remains was changed from the State Historic Preservation Division to the appropriate Island Burial Council. These changes reflect administrative adjustments rather than significant policy shifts.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on establishing a collaborative working group to address erosion-exposed Native Hawaiian burial sites, with minor adjustments to agency representation and responsibility assignments.

REQUIREMENT

The designated entity responsible for disposition of discovered remains changed from the State Historic Preservation Division to the appropriate Island Burial Council

Added a representative from the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands to the working group membership

Reordered the working group membership list, moving the Kauai County representative from position 8 to position 9

TECHNICAL

Document was reformatted from House Resolution to House Document (HD1) with updated metadata and formatting

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Resolution adopted in final form.

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Souza voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Woodson excused (2).

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1817), recommending adoption.

lower

Mar 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Reyes Oda, Ward.

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Souza voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Hussey, Muraoka, Ward excused (4).

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Committee

Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1690) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Souza; and Excused: none.

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to WAL, FIN, referral sheet 22

lower

Mar 7, 2025

Introduced

Offered

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors