The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) was created by the 1978 Constitutional Convention, to advance the interests of Hawaii’s citizens with native Hawaiian blood. OHA has been one of the primary supporters of the Akaka Bill, both financially and with staff support and lobbying efforts.
In 1980 the Legislature enacted a law requiring the distribution to OHA of 20% of the gross trust revenues (not net trust income after expenses) received by the State from the ceded lands trust established at Statehood in 1959. Because such transfers–of hundreds of millions of dollars–constitute a breach of the State’s duty as trustee, litigation is in progress (Kuroiwa vs Lingle) to require OHA to transfer back to the control of the Executive Branch all the funds wrongfully distributed to it.