S.R. No. 54 Summary

• Recognizes the importance of Native Hawaiian cultural monitoring in protecting and preserving Native Hawaiian historic and cultural resources, including ancestral remains (iwi kupuna), during construction and excavation projects.

• Urges federal, state, and county agencies to develop and implement Native Hawaiian cultural monitoring programs for all projects in historically sensitive areas in collaboration with developers, contractors, owners, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

• Directs the creation of a legislative committee composed of state Senate and House members to draft proposed amendments to Chapter 6E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to include criteria and guidelines for Native Hawaiian cultural monitoring.

• Acknowledges that Native Hawaiian cultural monitoring is not currently required by law in pre-construction archaeological surveys or excavation, demolition, and construction projects, despite 25 years of successful integration into public and private development projects.