HB 1998 Summary

• Requires counties to adopt ordinances mandating subdividers provide land in perpetuity or dedicate land for Hawaiian cultural reserves as a condition of approval for subdivisions on agricultural and rural lands with three or more dwelling units.

• Hawaiian cultural reserves must be available for use by cultural practitioners and perpetuation of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices, cultural resources, and cultural connections to place.

• Counties may assume costs of improvements and maintenance of Hawaiian cultural reserves, or transfer management to organizations that will assume those costs, relieving developers from such expenses.

• Applies same Hawaiian cultural reserve requirements to condominium property regimes on agricultural or rural lands with three or more residential units, with counties required to consult with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and potentially impacted Native Hawaiian communities.

• Payment in lieu of land dedication for parks and playgrounds cannot satisfy the separate requirement to provide or dedicate land for Hawaiian cultural reserve purposes.