WASHINGTON — Congress begins deliberations next Thursday on the "Akaka bill," which would create a process for Native Hawaiian self-governance.

If passed, it would create a process for reorganizing a Native Hawaiian government, including the election of an interim governing council. Once the government receives federal recognition, negotiations could take place on the disposition of Native Hawaiian land, natural resources and other assets.

The legislation, written by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, must first go through the proper congressional vetting committees before it faces votes in the full House and Senate and then goes before the president.

The House Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a morning hearing next Thursday on the bill.

That committee, where Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, sits as a senior member, has not yet released a witness list.

The Senate has not yet scheduled a hearing. But the Akaka bill's first test in that chamber would be before the Indian Affairs Committee, where Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, is a senior member.

Originally introduced in 2000, the bill has cleared the House before, but never the Senate.

The legislation hit hurdles in the Bush administration, where Justice Department officials said that it created a racial preference.

The legislation came closest to passing in 2007 when it cleared the full House, but was never brought to the Senate floor for a full vote.

President Obama, who was born in Hawaii and graduated from Punahou School, has promised to sign the legislation if it makes it to his desk.

The delegation reintroduced the 2007 version several weeks ago.

This version contains a provision barring any new Native Hawaiian government from authorizing gambling.

The provision was included to ease fears that newly empowered Native Hawaiians would set up gambling operations. But gambling is already illegal in Hawaii.