STAND. COM. REP. NO.  534-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2591

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2591 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HOMELESS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to reduce crimes against homeless individuals by:

 

(1)  Requiring a minimum term of imprisonment without the possibility of parole for crimes that cause death or inflict serious bodily injury upon a homeless individual; and

 

(2)  Extending the term of imprisonment for intentionally inflicting serious or substantial bodily injury upon a homeless individual, where the defendant knew or should have known of the homeless status of the individual.

 

     The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery; Community Alliance for Mental Health; United Self Help; and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice supported the intent of this measure and provided comments.


 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Eliminating the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment in order to allow for judicial discretion;

 

(2)  Adding homeless status to the existing provision for extended sentencing in hate crimes; and

 

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2591, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2591, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair