Hawaiian Home Lands plan among things to watch at Legislature

HONOLULU — A coalition representing Native Hawaiian homesteaders has created a plan outlining ways to improve the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Their plan calls on the state government to fully fund the department, which is responsible for administering the Hawaiian Home Lands Commission Act.

Representatives from the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and other groups will share their proposal with lawmakers in a joint meeting of Senate and House committees today.

The plan was developed by beneficiaries of the act, who are supposed to have access to lands placed in trust for Native Hawaiians. It calls for more transparency and openness between the government and the beneficiaries of the land trust.

The state House will be busy with committee hearings as it heads into its sixth full week. There will be a mandatory recess for the first three days, which means there will be no floor sessions until Thursday, and the focus will be on moving bills out of their final committees in each chamber. Here are other bills to watch:

FERTILITY EQUALITY: Hawaii has a law that requires health insurers to cover in vitro fertilization treatments for some women who want to improve their chances at pregnancy. But the benefit is for only married women, and some single women would like to see that changed. That bill is scheduled for decision making in the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection today.

SEX TRAFFICKING: Advocates for victims of sex trafficking are pushing the state to develop a comprehensive law to deal with the issue. The Senate Committee on Judiciary plans to make a decision on the proposal Tuesday morning.