SECTION 1. Section 171-4.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§171-4.5[]] Aha moku advisory committee; established. (a) There is established the aha moku advisory committee to be placed within the department [~~of land and natural resources~~] for administrative purposes. The committee may advise the chairperson of the board [~~of land and natural resources~~] in carrying out the purposes of this section.

(b) The committee shall consist of eight members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate from a list of nominations submitted by the aha moku [~~councils~~] council system of each island. The term of each member shall be four years. Oversight of the aha moku advisory committee shall be by the chairperson of the board [~~of land and natural resources~~]. The committee members shall select the committee [~~chairperson~~] chair and a committee vice-chair from among the members. The role and responsibility of the chair shall be to:

(1) Chair each meeting of the committee;

(2) Attend meetings of the board;

(3) Provide recommendations adopted by the committee to the chairperson of the board for inclusion on the board's agenda; and

(4) Provide the aha moku council system with advocacy and assistance in the development and adoption of rules that will positively impact traditional and customary practices.

(1) Meet with the member's respective island moku council prior to committee meetings to gather recommendations to be submitted to the committee;

(2) Prior to decision making on an agenda item, provide the member's respective island moku council with information and materials on the agenda item for which decision making is planned and gather input from the island moku council relating to the agenda item; and

(3) Report to the member's respective island moku council on decisions made and action taken by the committee.

[~~(c)~~] (d) The members shall not receive compensation for their service, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred while participating in meetings and events approved in advance by the chairperson of the board [~~of land and natural resources~~].

The aha moku advisory committee may hire an executive [~~director~~] assistant who shall be exempt from chapter 76. The [~~executive director~~] aha moku advisory committee may hire [~~an administrative or executive assistant to assist the executive director~~] additional persons to assist the committee in accomplishing the purposes of the aha moku advisory committee[.] as mandated by this section.

(e) The executive assistant to the aha moku advisory committee shall provide administrative assistance to the committee. The duties of the executive assistant shall include:

(1) Preparing documents and recommendations from the aha moku council system of each island for review and adoption by the committee;

(2) Providing the committee with logistical assistance including arrangements for travel and board for attendance at committee meetings and events;

(3) Providing administrative assistance for committee meetings, including the recording of minutes and attendance and arranging of logistics for the meeting;

(4) Providing the committee members with assistance in communicating with their respective aha moku council system;

(5) Providing the committee with assistance with the general public, the chairperson of the board, and the department;

(6) Assisting the committee with the development and adoption of rules relating to the committee's functions and responsibilities;

(7) Providing the committee with administrative assistance in establishing a schedule of regular meetings;

(8) Assisting the committee with establishing and maintaining communications on each island;

(9) Assisting the committee with attending to the capacity needs of each aha moku council system as identified by the aha moku councils, to include the development and acquisition of necessary funding for the operation and activities of each moku;

(10) Providing the committee with a bi-annual budget for review and approval that shall be presented to the chairperson of the board for inclusion in the department's budget requests; and

(11) Assisting the committee in the development of other funding instruments and preparing other funding instruments for committee review and approval.

[~~(d)~~] (f) The aha moku advisory committee [~~may~~], through its chair, shall provide advice and recommendations to the chairperson of the board on the following:

(1) Integrating indigenous resource management practices with western management practices in each moku;

(2) Identifying a comprehensive set of indigenous practices for natural resource management;

(3) Fostering the understanding and practical use of native Hawaiian resource knowledge, methodology, and expertise;

(4) Sustaining the State's marine, land, cultural, agricultural, and natural resources;

(5) Providing community education and fostering cultural awareness on the benefits of the aha moku system;

(6) Fostering protection and conservation of the State's natural resources; and

(7) Developing an administrative structure [~~that oversees~~] to establish a process for the dissemination of information and recommendations from and to the aha moku [~~system.~~] council system of each island.

[~~(e)~~] (g) The committee shall submit an annual report in English and Hawaiian to the legislature and the chairperson of the board [~~of land and natural resources~~] no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular legislative session. The annual report shall include a list of all recommendations made by the committee and the resulting action taken by the department over the course of the prior year."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1191
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII