By Associated Press - Tuesday, April 3, 2018

HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on a bill addressing ancestral land awarded to Hawaiian commoners during 19th century land reforms (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

A Hawaii Senate committee has passed a bill that would force landowners into mediation before they are allowed to file lawsuits to acquire small parcels awarded to Hawaiian commoners during mid-19th century land reforms.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Tuesday for the kuleana (COO’-leh-ah-nah) lands legislation.

The bill was introduced after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in late 2016 filed lawsuits to identify owners of 14 parcels interspersed within a 700-acre oceanfront estate he owns on Kauai. His lawsuits aimed to help him find the parcel owners and buy them out.

Zuckerberg withdrew as a plaintiff in the lawsuits after a public uproar.

Critics say the so-called quiet title lawsuits are dispossessing individual Native Hawaiians of the little land still in their control.

The legislation now goes to the full Senate.

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5:40 a.m.

A Hawaii Senate committee is scheduled to hear a bill that would force landowners into mediation before they are allowed to file lawsuits to acquire small parcels awarded to Hawaiian commoners during mid-19th century land reforms.

The bill was introduced after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in late 2016 filed lawsuits to identify owners of 14 parcels interspersed within a 700-acre oceanfront estate he owns on Kauai. His lawsuits aimed to help him find the parcel owners and buy them out.

Critics say these so-called quiet title lawsuits are dispossessing individual Native Hawaiians of the little land still in their control.

Zuckerberg withdrew as a plaintiff in the lawsuits after a public uproar.

The state House passed the legislation last year. Senators haven’t considered it until now.

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