State House and Senate leaders have named a 10-member joint committee to investigate possible mismanagement and security lapses at the state Bureau of Conveyances.

The committee, dominated by majority Democrats, will have subpoena power and will likely work through the fall before issuing recommendations.

The bureau, which processes land and title documents, is the subject of criminal and ethics investigations over possible document tampering and giving preferential treatment to certain title companies. The joint committee will likely concentrate on management issues that were outlined during the confirmation hearings of Peter Young as director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Problems at the bureau were a factor in the state Senate's decision to reject Young for another four-year term.

"The information that we uncovered raised serious concerns about the integrity of the system and the bureau's ability to carry out its mission," said state Sen. Jill Tokuda, D-24th (Kailua, Kane'ohe), who will co-chair the committee with state Rep. Joseph Souki, D-8th (Wailuku, Waihe'e, Waiehu).

Souki, in a statement, said he hoped the committee could "help turn this troubled agency around in order to better serve the public. This is a bureau that handles people's recorded documents and affects their lives and property."

On the Senate side, the committee includes Democrats Russell Kokubun, Carol Fukunaga and David Ige; and Republican Mike Gabbard. On the House side, it includes Democrats Sharon Har, Karl Rhoads and James Tokioka; and Republican Cynthia Thielen.

Hilton Lui, who investigated the bureau for the state Ethics Commission, has been hired to help the committee.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.