Requesting The President Of The United States To Return To The State All Recreational Facilities On Hawaii Public Lands That Are No Longer Required For The Defense Of The United States, Including Fort Derussy And The Hale Koa Hotel, Pursuant To The Hawaii Admission Act, And As Further Required By Public Law 88-233.
H.R. 189 is a House Resolution urging the President of the United States to determine that certain federal recreational and leisure facilities on Hawaii public lands are no longer needed for national defense and should be conveyed back to the State of Hawaii. The resolution focuses first on Fort DeRussy and the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki, but it also calls for a broader review of all federally retained lands in Hawaii, including military recreation sites, golf courses, marinas, lodging facilities, and other properties on former crown and government lands. It frames these lands as part of the public land trust and argues that many are being used for non-defense purposes that should not justify continued federal retention.
The measure relies heavily on the Hawaii Admission Act and Public Law 88-233, which it cites as requiring federal agencies to report on continued need for retained lands and, if no longer needed, to return them to the State. It also asks that any returned lands be incorporated into the public land trust and managed under the trust purposes in the Hawaii Constitution. In addition, it requests a comprehensive independent appraisal of federally occupied crown and government lands to estimate fair market rental value owed to the State and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and it directs state officials to pursue legal and administrative avenues, including possible litigation, to secure return of the lands if voluntary action does not occur.
The resolution’s stated policy goal is to restore lands to the State for cultural restoration, shoreline access, revenue generation for trust beneficiaries, and the betterment of Native Hawaiians. It specifically contemplates a land-use plan for the returned Fort DeRussy area in partnership with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The bill does not itself change statutes or transfer property, but it seeks to influence federal action and state legal strategy by formally expressing the Legislature’s position and requesting executive and agency involvement.
The general sentiment reflected in the text is strongly supportive of land վերադարձ and critical of continued federal use of Hawaii lands for recreation and hospitality rather than defense. The resolution repeatedly characterizes the federal retention of these lands as unjust, inconsistent with the Admission Act, and harmful to the State’s public land trust and Native Hawaiian interests. At the same time, it includes language acknowledging and honoring military service, suggesting the measure is aimed at land use and trust obligations rather than opposition to the armed forces themselves.
The main points of contention are likely to be the resolution’s legal and factual claims about whether the federal government still has a legitimate defense need for these properties, and whether facilities like the Hale Koa Hotel and other military recreation sites should be treated as surplus or as part of military support infrastructure. The measure also raises broader disputes over compensation, trust obligations, and the scope of lands that should be reviewed for return. No committee debate or vote history is provided, so the available record shows the bill’s position but not any recorded legislative opposition or support beyond the resolution’s own findings.
This resolution would not directly amend Hawaii statutes or transfer title on its own, but it would formally request federal review and conveyance of Fort DeRussy, the Hale Koa Hotel, and other federally retained lands deemed no longer necessary for defense. It also seeks to activate state-level follow-up by directing the Governor, Attorney General, and Public Land Trust Working Group to pursue negotiations, legal action, and valuation work. If acted upon, the requested outcome would expand the public land trust’s holdings and potentially affect state trust administration, Native Hawaiian trust interests, and future land-use planning for returned properties.
The sentiment in the resolution is overwhelmingly favorable toward returning the lands to the State and skeptical of the federal government’s continued retention of recreational facilities on Hawaii public lands. The measure presents the return as a matter of justice, trust law, and compliance with the Admission Act, while also emphasizing that the proposal is not intended to diminish the military’s service. Because no committee transcript or vote record is provided, there is no documented legislative debate in the materials, but the text itself signals a strongly pro-return, pro-trust, and pro-Native Hawaiian position.
The central contention is whether Fort DeRussy, the Hale Koa Hotel, and similar military recreation assets are genuinely needed for national defense or are surplus properties that should revert to Hawaii. Related disputes include whether the Admission Act and Public Law 88-233 require automatic return, whether the federal government owes rent or compensation for past use, and whether the State should pursue litigation to compel transfer. The resolution’s broad sweep to other military recreation and leisure facilities may also draw concern from those who view such sites as supporting military morale, welfare, and readiness rather than serving purely commercial or recreational ends.