WASHINGTON — Congress begins deliberations Thursday — Kamehameha Day — 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 that government receives federal recognition, negotiations could take place on the disposition of Native Hawaiian land, natural resources and other assets.

The legislation, written by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, must first go through congressional vetting committees before it faces votes in the full House and Senate and — if approved — then goes before the president.

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

That committee, where U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, sits as a senior member, has not yet released a witness list.

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

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

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs' board of trustees voted last week to support passage of the bill but recommended some amendments.

One would broaden the definition of "Native Hawaiian." Another asks Congress to delete all references to a "commission."

The OHA vote was 6-0, with three members absent.

The bill hit hurdles during the Bush administration, when Justice Department officials said that it would create 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 Hawai'i, has promised to sign the legislation if it makes it to his desk.

The Hawai'i 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 Hawai'i.

Advertiser Staff writer Gordon Y.K. Pang contributed to this report. Reach John Yaukey at jyaukey@gannett.com.