STAND. COM. REP. 714

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 500

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 500 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY COURTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of the bill is to establish penalties for minors who are alleged to have committed an act that would constitute a violation or attempted violation of promoting a dangerous, harmful, or detrimental drug, or other controlled substances.

Specifically, this bill:

(1) Allows the Family Court to commit the minor for incarceration in a Youth Correctional Facility for a certain unspecified amount of time, without possibility of probation or suspension of sentence; and

(2) Requires the minor and the minor's parents, guardians, or legal custodians to attend a substance abuse education and counseling program for an unspecified minimum amount of hours.

The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Maui supported this bill. The Office of the Public Defender opposed this bill. The Judiciary offered comments.

Your Committee finds that this measure attempts to address illicit drug activity by minors. However, concerns raised by public testimony need to be addressed.

Your Committee has amended the bill by changing the effective date to February 31, 2050, in order to continue the discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 500, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 500, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

 

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair