A measure that aims to form a working group to develop a new management structure for Mauna Kea was advanced Thursday in the state House of Representatives.

The resolution, which requires the panel to develop recommendations by the end of the year, was approved by a joint meeting of two committees following a public hearing that drew both criticism and support.

Only a handful of members from the House committees on Water and Land, and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs voted no or with reservations.

The effort to seek new management is spearheaded by the House leadership and follows a report that criticized Mauna Kea leaseholder University of Hawaii for falling short of adequately reaching out to the Native Hawaiian community in its oversight.

According to the resolution, the failure of the university to properly consult with Native Hawaiians has led to mistrust and polarization within the community, a situation that must be reconciled.

It’s unclear whether the Senate will participate in the effort. A concurrent resolution was sent to the Senate, but Sen. Lorraine Inouye, chairwoman of the Senate Water and Land Committee, indicated she doesn’t plan to hold a hearing.

Oversight of Mauna Kea has come under increasing scrutiny as Native Hawaiians who hold Hawaii’s tallest mountain sacred have galvanized against the planned Thirty Meter Telescope.

TMT opponents have repelled the next-generation telescope in the courts and on the ground over the last five years, and now the price tag has jumped to $2.4 billion, prompting the developers to ask the National Science Foundation for an additional $800 million.

The NSF, which has not made any funding decisions yet, is now conducting an outreach campaign in Hawaii in a move to search out “mitigations” that suggest the project will move forward.

On Thursday, opponents spoke out against the House proposal, saying it appears to be another attempt to try to get the TMT built.

“That is the whole point of this working group, the building of the TMT,” said Healani Sonoda-Pale, spokeswoman for Ka Lahui Hawai‘i Komike Kalai‘aina.

Sonoda-Pale said the voices of “kia‘i mauna” would not be heard by the working group because Speaker Scott Saiki, who is pro-TMT, would control the group’s membership, and, in any case, it would lack authority without the governor and the Senate signing on.

“We should bury TMT,” activist Jim Anthony told lawmakers during the online hearing. “We should give it a decent burial and move on as a community.”

But Rep. David Tarnas (D, Kaupulehu-­Waimea-Halaula), who introduced the resolution, said it’s not about TMT, but getting proper oversight of the mountain.

Greg Chun, UH director of Mauna Kea stewardship, said the university is committed to being a good steward and stands ready to participate in any process that will lead to better management of the mountain.

But, he said, this proposal is flawed, in part, because the panel’s work is based on the conclusions of only one report that doesn’t necessarily offer the full picture.

Chun said the university’s outreach to Native Hawaiians, as outlined elsewhere, has been “extensive and, in some cases, I believe, creative.”

“It is our experience our critics hesitate to engage for several reasons: either their opposition to any form of astronomy on Mauna Kea, or concern that any input would be taken as tacit support of UH or the Thirty Meter Telescope,” he said.

Concerns expressed by other testifiers included the composition of the panel and making sure that all voices are represented, including those from Hawaii island.

According to the resolution, the working group would consist of 14 members: seven Native Hawaiian representatives and seven “stakeholders,” including three members of the House and a chairman appointed by the speaker.

Other members would represent the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, state Board of Land and Natural Resources, Mauna Kea Observatories and UH Board of Regents.

Among those testifying in support of the resolution Thursday were representatives from OHA, the Mauna­kea Observatories and several chambers of commerce.

Before approving the measure, Tarnas said it’s clear the panel needs to look at a variety of sources when considering the university’s track record. He also said he will recommend to Saiki that there be representation from Hawaii island.