Bill Text: HI SB895 | 2015 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Hawaiian Language; Public Documents; Letterhead; Symbols

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-03-25 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Ing, Luke excused (2). [SB895 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-SB895-Amended.html

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

895

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     MAHELE 1.  Ke hōoia nei ka ahaōlelo kau kānāwai o ka Mokuāina o Hawaii nei ua ae ia ma ke Kumukānāwai o ka Mokuāina o Hawaii ka mālama ana mai a me ka paipai ana hoi i ka ike a me ka nohona Kanaka, ka moolelo, a me ka ōlelo ōiwi o Hawaii.  Ma loko o ka paukū X, mahele 4, ōlelo ia penei, "e paipai ka Mokuāina i ke ao ana i ka ike a me ka nohona Kanaka, ka moolelo a me ka ōlelo ōiwi o Hawaii."  A ma loko o ka paukū XII, mahele 7, ōlelo ia penei, "ke hōoia hou nei ka Mokuāina e mālama a hoomalu ia nā kuleana a me nā pono a pau, i hana kuluma ia no ke ola pono o ka noho ana, nā ano o ka nohona a me ka hoomana i paa mau i nā o Kanaka o ke ahupuaa, o lākou he mamo na nā Kanaka maoli i noho ma ka pae āina o Hawaii nei ma mua o ka makahiki 1778, a koe kekahi kuleana o ka Mokuāina e hooponopono i ia mau kuleana a me nā pono."  Oiai ua ike ia he pili pono ka ōlelo e ola ana i ka hoomau ia ana o ke ano o ka nohona o ka poe kānaka, ma ka paukū XV, mahele 4 ke hoāmana ia nei elua mau ōlelo kūhelu o ka mokuāina o Hawaii, oia hoi ka ōlelo Hawaii a me ka ōlelo Pelekania.

     Ma hope mai o ka makahiki 1978, ua hōoia hou ia e ka Mokuāina o ka ōlelo Hawaii kekahi o nā ōlelo kūhelu, a ua kākoo ka ahaōlelo i nā hana e hookomo i ka ōlelo Hawaii ma nā palapala oihana o ka mokuāina, nā kuni, a me nā hōailona.  Ua mālama ka Mokuāina i ke koi ia a me ke pela pololei ia i ia mau kākau ana no ka lehulehu.  I kēia mau lā o ka hoohana pono ana i ke kahakō a me ka okina he mea ia e hōike i ka mālama maikai ia o ka ōlelo ōiwi o kēia mau mokupuni, a he mea nō hoi ia e hookō pono ai i ka manao a me ke kumu o ke kumukānāwai o ka mokuāina.

     I ka makahiki 2012, ua hōole ke kiaāina i ka pila kānāwai H.B. No. 1984, S.D. 1, C.D. 1, he pila e hookūikawā ana i ka mahina o Pepeluali o ia ka "Mahina Ōlelo Hawaii" a e koi ana i ke pela pololei ana o nā huaōlelo Hawaii like ole e pai ia nei ma nā palapala a pau o ka mokuāina a me ke kalana. Wahi a ke kiaāina, ua hōole o ia i ka pila no ka mea ua hiki iā ia ke hookō i ka manao nui o ia pila ma o kāna hooholo ponoī ana. Eia hoi, oiai o ia i kūkala aku o Pepeluali ka "Mahina Ōlelo Hawaii", a ma hope mai pūlima a āpono hoi i ke kānāwai o S.B. No. 409, Kau Mau o 2013, e hookaawale ana iā Pepeluali o ia ka "Mahina Ōlelo Hawaii" ma ke kānāwai, aole nae i hana ia kekahi mea no ke pela pololei ana i ka ōlelo Hawaii ma nā palapala o ka mokuāina me ke kalana. A eia hou, ke hōoia nei ka ahaōlelo kau kānāwai, oiai ka ōlelo Hawaii he ōlelo kūhelu o ka Mokuāina, he mea kūpono ke pela pololei ana i ka ōlelo Hawaii, e like nō me ke pela pololei ana ma ka ōlelo Pelekania, ma nā palapala o ka mokuāina me ke kalana.

     O ke kumu o kēia Kānāwai oia hoi ka mālama ana ma lalo o ka mana o ke kumukānāwai o ka ōlelo Hawaii, a me ka ike a me ka nohona Kanaka ma o ke koi ana e hoohana ia nā inoa Hawaii a me ka ōlelo Hawaii ma kona ano pololei loa a kūpono ma nā palapala, nā poo inoa leka, nā hōailona, a me nā kuni, i ka wā e hana mua ia, ka hana hou ia, a i ole ke pai hou ana.

     (English translation of MAHELE 1)

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Constitution of the State of Hawaii provides for the preservation and promotion of native Hawaiian culture, history, and language.  Article X, section 4, of the Hawaii State Constitution provides that "[t]he State shall promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history and language."  Article XII, section 7, of the Hawaii State Constitution provides that "[t]he State reaffirms and shall protect all rights, customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural and religious purposes and possessed by ahupuaa tenants who are descendants of native Hawaiians who inhabited the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778, subject to the right of the State to regulate such rights."  Because maintaining a living language is an integral component of preserving a culture, article XV, section 4, of the Hawaii State Constitution establishes that English and Hawaiian are the official languages of Hawaii.

     Since 1978, the State has reaffirmed Hawaiian as one of its official languages, and the legislature has supported efforts to incorporate the Hawaiian language into official state writings, emblems, and signs.  The State has ensured that these public inscriptions are mandatory, accurate, and spelled correctly.  The use of proper Hawaiian macrons and glottal stops not only shows the deserved respect for the native language of these islands, but also fully comports with the intent and purpose of the state constitution.

     In 2012, the governor vetoed H.B. No. 1984, S.D. 1, C.D. 1, a bill establishing February as "Ōlelo Hawaii Month" and requiring that all Hawaiian words used in state and county documents be properly spelled, punctuated, and diacritically marked.  The governor stated that he vetoed the bill because he could achieve the contents of the bill administratively.  However, while he proclaimed February as "Ōlelo Hawaii Month" and later signed into law S.B. No. 409, Regular Session of 2013, which designates February as "Ōlelo Hawaii Month" in statute, no action was taken regarding the correct use of Hawaiian words in state and county documents.  The legislature further finds that, as an official language of the State, the Hawaiian language warrants the same correct usage as English in state and county documents.

     The purpose of this Act is to ensure the constitutionally and ethically mandated preservation of the Hawaiian language and culture by requiring all newly created, replaced, or reprinted state and county documents, letterheads, symbols, and emblems, to contain accurate, appropriate, and authentic Hawaiian names and language.

     SECTION 2.  Section 1-13.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§1-13.5[]]  Hawaiian language; spelling.  [Macrons and glottal stops may be used in the spelling of words or terms in the Hawaiian language in] (a)  Effective January 1, 2016, all documents and letterheads prepared by or for state or county agencies or officials[.] shall include accurate, appropriate, and authentic Hawaiian names and words, including proper Hawaiian spelling and punctuation, including but not limited to macrons and glottal stops that punctuate the word to which they relate; provided that any revision to conform any document or letterhead existing on or before January 1, 2016, to the requirements of this section, may be implemented when the document or letterhead requires replacement or reprinting, or otherwise requires revision.  Any rule, order, policy, or other act, official or otherwise, that prohibits or discourages the use of [these symbols] accurate, appropriate, and authentic Hawaiian names and words, as required by this section, shall be void.

     (b)  Hawaiian names and words shall be deemed accurate, appropriate, and authentic when printed in conformance with:

     (1)  "Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian-English, English-Hawaiian", by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert, University of Hawaii Press, copyright 1986;

     (2)  "Māmaka Kaiao:  A Modern Hawaiian Vocabulary", developed by the Kōmike Huaōlelo, the Hawaiian Lexicon Committee; or

     (3)  "Place Names of Hawaii", by Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert, and Esther T. Mookini, University of Hawaii Press, copyright 1974.

     (c)  Any Hawaiian name or word that is misspelled or incorrectly punctuated or diacritically marked included in a document or letterhead subject to this section shall not invalidate the document or render it unenforceable.  Further, no action may be brought against the State, any county, or any state or county agency, official, or employee on the basis that a document or letterhead prepared by a state or county agency or official violated a provision of this section."

     SECTION 3.  Section 5-6.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§5-6.5[]]  State language.  (a)  The Hawaiian language is the native language of [Hawaii] Hawaii and [may], effective January 1, 2016, shall be used on all emblems and symbols representative of the State, its departments, agencies, and political subdivisions[.]; provided that for emblems and symbols existing on January 1, 2016, conformance with this section may be delayed until a replacement for the emblem or symbol otherwise is required.

     (b)  The Hawaiian language as used on all emblems and symbols shall be in conformance with the requirements of section 1‑13.5(b)."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on December 24, 2088.


 


 

Report Title:

Hawaiian Language; Public Documents; Letterhead; Symbols

 

Description:

Requires that all letterheads, documents, symbols, and emblems of the State and other political subdivisions include accurate and appropriate Hawaiian names and language.  Establishes references for accurate, appropriate, and authentic Hawaiian names and words, including proper Hawaiian spelling and punctuation.  (SB895 HD1)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

 

 

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