STAND. COM. REP. NO.1627

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.C.R. No. 70

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 70 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REVIEW AND COMPARE SELECTED PROVISIONS OF HAWAII FAMILY LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Attorney General (AG) to review and compare selected provisions of Hawaii family law.

The AG submitted comments that it could support this measure if the Legislative Reference Bureau would conduct the study, because the AG's office is not versed in family law inasmuch as it does not practice in this area.

Hawaii's family law statutes encompass divorce, property settlement, child support, and child custody. The statutes have been revised continuously to maintain a progressive and highly supportive view toward children of divorce.

Nevertheless, selected areas of Hawaii's family law statutes could stand a review at this time to determine how they compare with mainland states. This measure requests the review of laws on child support, child custody, and property settlements in dissolution of marriage. The laws in these areas are continuously changing. The review will result in recommendations and a proposed draft of legislation, if any is deemed necessary.

Your Committee has amended this measure to specify that the Legislative Reference Bureau conduct the study.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 70, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 70, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair