STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2742

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2064

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2064 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JURY SERVICE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to exempt psychologists from jury service in order to better serve the residents of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Psychological Association, Na Puuwai Native Hawaiian Health Care System, and twenty-one individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Judiciary and The League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that exempting psychologists from jury service will serve to protect the health of the public by avoiding a disruption in patient care.  In this regard, it is often difficult to replace one psychologist with another, without significant risk to the health or well-being of the patient.  Furthermore, patients in rural areas may face additional difficulties due to a shortage of psychologists.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by exempting only psychologists who are in the full-time practice of treating patients.  Testimony from various proponents of this measure indicated that the need for this exemption is directly related to patient care.

 

     Your Committee has also amended this measure by amending the effective date to July 1, 2050, for purposes of facilitating further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2064, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2064, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair