HI SR23

Senate resolution supports extending the timeline and providing additional resources to the Native Hawaiian Intellectual Property Working Group for fiscal year 2026-2027.

Working Group was originally established by H.C.R. No. 108 (2023) to develop solutions preventing misappropriation of Native Hawaiian intellectual property, with recommendations originally due 40 days before the 2025 legislative session.

Working Group includes representatives from Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, and other Hawaiian organizations.

Additional time is requested to conduct culturally appropriate community consultations to ensure recommendations reflect Native Hawaiian community aspirations and concerns.

Hawaii's creative industries contribute $5.6 billion in gross domestic product, with Hawaiian culture central to the tourism economy, underscoring the importance of protecting intellectual property integrity.