Opinion ID: 2582211
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Post-Yamasaki Legislation

Text: In response to this court's decision in Yamasaki, the legislature enacted Act 304 as the first step in the resolution of a series of complex questions about what constitutes the extent of the trust holdings and the trust obligations of the State to the native Hawaiians. Hse. Stand. Comm. Rep. No. 306-90, in 1990 House Journal, at 960; see also Sen. Stand. Comm. Rep. No. 2778, in 1990 Senate Journal, at 1150-51. Act 304, inter alia, amended HRS § 10-13.5 to provide a clear definition of `public land trust' and `revenues,' in order to resolve the issue for the future. Id. In doing so, the legislature believed that the measure would enable the State to fulfill its trust obligations to the Hawaiians and w[ould] signal a new era for the native Hawaiian community. Id. Specifically, Act 304 provided that: Twenty per cent of all revenue [ [5] ] derived from the public land trust shall be expended by [OHA] for the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians. OHA I, 96 Hawai`i at 391-92, 31 P.3d at 904-05 (citing 1990 Haw. Sess. L. Act 304, § 7 at 951 and HRS § 10-13.5 (1993)) (emphasis and some brackets in original). Additionally, section 8 of Act 304 provided a mechanism whereby the State and OHA were to determine the amounts owed to OHA for the period of June 16, 1980 through June 30, 1991. Id. at 392, 31 P.3d at 905 (citing 1990 Haw. Sess. L. Act 304, § 8 at 951). Thus, pursuant to section 8, the legislature appropriated funds for the payment of approximately $130 million to OHA on April 16, 1993. Id. (citing 1993 Haw. Sess. L. Act 35, at 41). However, the $130 million appropriation [did] not include several matters regarding revenue which OHA [had] asserted [was] due OHA and which [the State had] not accepted and agreed to. Id. (quotation marks omitted).